Ilona Maher Proves She's the Ultimate Maxxinista at ESPYS 2026

Jul 16, 2026 - 07:04

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Olympian Ilona Maher shared the unlikely place she found her red carpet-ready dress in an exclusive E! News interview during the 2026 ESPY Awards at New York City's Lincoln Center on July 15.

Ilona Maher Proves She’s the Ultimate Maxxinista at ESPYS 2026 (Exclusive)

Ilona Maher didn't drop the ball when it came to finding her ESPYS 2026 dress.

After all, the Olympic rugby player sourced her stunning Retrofête gown—which featured a silver sequined bandeau bra top with an eye-catching cutout and a long white skirt—from a beloved discount department store.

After braving the rain outside of New York City's Lincoln Center, Maher exclusively told USA Sports' Renee Montgomery at the July 15 sports award show, "This is T.J. Maxx, and yes, it is very wet." (Click here to see all the red carpet fashion.)

But that didn't put a damper on the 29-year-old's spirits. As she put it, "It's so cool to be in a room of such greatness, of really like-minded individuals who want to be great."

Maher added, "What a night!"

Indeed, the Dancing With the Stars alum has a penchant for fashion. In fact, she prefers outfits that show off her athletic build.

"Nothing too oversized," Maher noted in an interview with Sports Illustrated published earlier this month, adding that she gravitates toward pieces that "highlight my arms and shoulders."

She also doesn't care if critics think otherwise.

“People will always have opinions,” Maher continued, "and, honestly, I’m not everyone’s cup of tea."

Mike Coppola/Getty Images

That's why she had no problem clapping back at an online troll earlier this year over comments that she looked "pregnant" in a figure-hugging orange dress.

"He deleted his comment because I had a great comeback, but I want to do it again for you all," Maher quipped in a January TikTok video, while modeling the frock. "To him, I say this is just a normal woman's body."

"You probably haven't seen a woman naked in a long time, if ever, and I hope you never get the privilege to again," she continued, "because that's just how we are, OK? That's just what we're working with."

And to see Maher and more sports star show off their style at the 2026 ESPY Awards, keep reading...

(E! and USA Sports are both part of the Versant Media family.)

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