Ilona Maher reacts to her team's performance during 'Disney Night' at Dancing With the Stars

76th Primetime Emmy Awards - Arrivals - Source: Getty
Ilona Maher at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards, (Source: Getty)

Ilona Maher ecstatically reacted to Team Goof's performance on Disney Week at Dancing With the Stars. The team of four celebrities, including Joey Graziadei, Jenn Trann, Chandler Kinney, and Maher, danced to "I2I" from "The Goofy Movie" and earned 27/30 from the three judges.

Ilona Maher, the US women's rugby sevens standout player, joined the celebrity-packed Dancing With the Stars roster after winning team bronze at the 2024 Paris Games and partnered with professional dancer Alan Bersten. On October 8, she danced a jive to Quiet Riot's “Cum On Feel the Noize” on Hair Metal Night but broke in tears after the judges pointed out some errors in her routine.

"This was a really tough dance for me, and this whole week's been really tough," Ilona confessed. "And you do it so well in dress rehearsal, and then you come out and you mess it up. So it's really hard," she shared with host Julianne Hough.

The rugby player made a strong comeback and performed rumba on Dedication Night, leaving her rugby sevens teammates emotional. She earned 32 out of 40 for her performance.

Maher emulated Luisa Mirabel's personality and look from the Disney feature film, Encanto, in the following week. She perfectly portrayed the strongest character of the film Luisa, often called the 'rock of the family'.

She was also part of Team Goof in the team competition, joining the likes of Joey Graziadei, Jenn Trann, and Chandler Kinney. She wore heels for the first time in the competition and lifted pro dancers like Bersten, Kinney, and Jenna Johnson.

Taking to her Instagram story, she shared the dance video by DWTS official and wrote:

"This was too fun!!!"
Ilona Maher comments on Team Goof performance; Instagram - @ilonamaher
Ilona Maher comments on Team Goof performance; Instagram - @ilonamaher

The dance featured the women in all-black outfits and the men in green jumpsuits. Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli, each gave them nine out of ten.

Ilona Maher pens a heartwarming note for her father

Ilona Maher appears at DWTS in Celebrity Sightings In Los Angeles - (Source: Getty)
Ilona Maher appears at DWTS in Celebrity Sightings In Los Angeles - (Source: Getty)

In an Instagram post from October 25, 2024, Maher posted a photo carousel of her father posing beside her on the Dancing With the Stars stage. Her rugby sevens teammates also shared the frame with the 29-year-old. Maher's heartfelt caption read:

"Little different than watching rugby games but I could do anything and these beautiful people would still cheer for me."

Ilona Maher's father, Michael was also a rugby player at Saint Michael's College. Maher's parents have always been supportive of her athletic endeavors and cheered on her at the Paris Games.

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Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer
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