Ilona Maher joins 'moments that feel like Hozier yell' trend as she reflects on major career milestone

With over half a year gone since Ilona Maher celebrated the triumph with her teammates on the podium in the 2024 Paris Olympics, she recently hopped on the 'A moment that felt like Hozier's yell' trend with a video of Team USA lifting the arms and voices in unison on the podium.

Ilona Maher was nostalgic about her Paris Olympics trip as she missed her Rugby Sevens teammates. She scored tries in all of Team USA's group-stage games and led the Team to its first-ever Olympic medal, a bronze.

Maher made her Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and although she scored three tries, it wasn't enough to win a medal. The 28-year-old earned another selection last year, and her trip was memorable after leading the USA Rugby Sevens to the bronze medal.

She recently shared a video of her team celebrating the Paris Olympics success on her Instagram and wrote:

"Missing these highwomen @usarugby."

It's worth noting that Maher has transitioned to the Rugby 15s, which could be one of the reasons behind her nostalgia. She was on a three-month contract with the Premiership Women's Rugby club Bristol Bears earlier this year and is now aiming to represent the USA at the 2025 World Cup.

Last year, Maher also appeared on ABC's Dancing With The Stars reality show before travelling to England for the PWR, where she clinched second place with her dancing partner, Alan Bersten.

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Ilona Maher bids emotional farewell to Bristol Bears

Ilona Maher arrives at Allianz Premiership Women's Rugby Semi Final - Source: Getty

Ilona Maher signed with Bristol Bears following the runner-up finish on DWTS and made her debut in January against the local rivals Gloucester-Hartpury. Her debut games broke the all-time attendance record for the Bears, and after helping the club reach the semifinals, Maher's campaign ended with a loss to Gloucester.

Maher was emotional following the game and said she was sad now that she will need to play against some of her teammates when she lines up with the USA Rugby 15s team later this summer. Ilona Maher said via Instagram video:

"Alright, that was my last game in the PWR. I'm so honored to play for the Bristol Bears, the most welcoming, nicest team I could have joined, and I'm sad that I'm playing against a lot of them."

Maher hasn't ruled out a return to PWR and hopes the league continues to grow in her absence. She said via BBC.

“I never say never. It was amazing I even got to come and play here for two and a half months...I hope that even when I am not playing this league continues to grow and we can get these numbers out to games even when I am not there."

The two-time Olympian is the most followed rugby player in the world with over 8 million followers on Instagram and TikTok, and her presence resulted in massive viewership of the PWR.