During his monologue, Gillis was pointing out some of the stars in attendance at the event. When he introduced WNBA legend Diana Taurasi, he mispronounced her first name as "Deanna." That prompted Taurasi to shake her head and make a disapproving expression, which was caught on camera.

Host Shane Gillis brought his trademark brand of combative humor to the opening monologue of Wednesday night’s ESPY Awards in Hollywood, drawing a mixed response from the audience of professional athletes and Hollywood celebrities.

During his opening monologue, Gillis nodded to the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark, who couldn’t make the ceremony owing to her travel schedule with the team. After noting he and Clark had both “nailed a bunch of threes,

I liked Shane Gillis’ ESPYS monologue. As a 30-something-year-old white guy who lives in Ohio and subscribes to his podcast’s Patreon, I was probably always going to. Still, I’m aware enough to know that a not-insignificant part of Gillis’ appeal is that what he says is sometimes going to offend people.