The ESPY Awards showered kudos on female athletes during Wednesday’s glitzy ceremony at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood. Fortunately, the honorees delivered enough inspiration and muscular prowess — see: rugby star Ilona Maher,

ESPY Awards honored Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as Best Male Athlete, Simone Biles as Best Female Athlete, Liona Maher as Best Breakthrough Athlete, and Suni Lee as Comeback Athlete of the Year, celebrating their perseverance and determination in their respective sports.

Shane Gillis hosts the annual sports awards show for ESPN, which will feature musical performances from Busta Rhymes, Clipse and GELO

Backstage after receiving her award, Jane Hedengren met McLaughlin-Levrone. In a video shared by ESPN on social media, McLaughlin-Levrone asked the BYU commit who she looks up to in athletics and life.

The Washington Capitals captain won the award for “Best Record-Breaking Performance” at the 2025 ESPYs on Wednesday.

Brooks Nader and Lindsey Vonn both suffered wardrobe malfunctions while walking the red carpet at the ESPY Awards, with Nader having a nip-slip and Vonn's dress catching a breeze.

The athlete, 40, walked the red carpet for the event in a strapless eggplant-colored Elisabetta Franchi gown from the designer's fall/winter 2025 collection. The dress had a daring hip-bone-grazing slit that allowed Vonn to show off her toned legs, as well as her black G-string.

UConn legend Diana Taurasi and Quinnipiac rugby star Ilona Maher represented Connecticut on a national stage Wednesday as ESPY Award winners.

Coco Gauff won the Best Tennis Player ESPY award for the second year in a row. Gauff beat out nominees Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz, and Jannik Sinner for the award. Her win comes after a successful year including her first French Open title and over $5.6 million in earnings. Coco Gauff won Best Tennis Player at the ESPYS on Wednesday night.

Ciara and Russell Wilson, Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens, and other couples stepped out Wednesday at the ESPY Awards, which celebrates "the greatest athletes."