Maher Wins ESPY for Best Breakthrough Athlete
7/16/2025 9:15:00 PM | Women's Rugby
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Former Quinnipiac Women's Rugby standout Ilona Maher ('18) won the 2025 ESPY for Best Breakthrough Athlete, as revealed on Wednesday evening during the 2025 ESPY's at Dolby Theatre.
Maher represented Team USA in Rugby Sevens at the 2024 Paris Olympics, helping the Untied States capture the team's first-ever medal in rugby sevens – defeating Australia 14-12 in the bronze medal matchup on Tuesday, July 30, 2025.
Maher made her international debut at the 2018 Paris Sevens tournament, then competed at the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 on home soil in San Francisco and later the Tokyo 2020 Olympics held in 2021.
The Burlington, Vermont-native helped lead the Bobcats to back-to-back-to-back NIRA national championships in 2015, 2016, and 2017. It marks her second trip to the Olympics, as Maher also represented the USA in Tokyo in 2020.
Maher also signed her first professional contract back in December with the Bristol Bears for the remainder of the Premiership Women's Rugby season.
The 2025 ESPY for best breakthrough athlete goes to Ilona Maher 🤩@ilona_maher | @USARugby pic.twitter.com/eKAunuS1dI
— ESPN (@espn) July 17, 2025
Maher represented Team USA in Rugby Sevens at the 2024 Paris Olympics, helping the Untied States capture the team's first-ever medal in rugby sevens – defeating Australia 14-12 in the bronze medal matchup on Tuesday, July 30, 2025.
Maher made her international debut at the 2018 Paris Sevens tournament, then competed at the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 on home soil in San Francisco and later the Tokyo 2020 Olympics held in 2021.
The Burlington, Vermont-native helped lead the Bobcats to back-to-back-to-back NIRA national championships in 2015, 2016, and 2017. It marks her second trip to the Olympics, as Maher also represented the USA in Tokyo in 2020.
Maher also signed her first professional contract back in December with the Bristol Bears for the remainder of the Premiership Women's Rugby season.
Watch Ilona Maher's full speech after receiving the 2025 ESPY for Best Breakthrough Athlete 🏉 pic.twitter.com/Z1Q6FapjYj
— espnW (@espnW) July 17, 2025
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