Dedication Night on Dancing with the Stars was quite a treat for the fans. What made the night special was the fact that the contestants could dedicate their dance routines to others, and Ilona Maher chose her Ruby team. The bronze medalist revealed that she was “dancing for more than just this Olympic moment.” on her Instagram video. And when the time came, the athlete poured her passion into her performance, mesmerizing the fans.

However, it seems the DWTS judges didn’t see the performance with the same lens. The highest score she received on an individual judge’s scorecard was 8, and the fans were not happy. “ROBBED, SHE DESERVED A MINIMUM OF TWO 9S,” a fan wrote in all caps, without mincing words about how outrageous she found the scoring to be. Another fan took it one step further.

“9, 9, 9, 9. The judges did not judge her right,” commented the displeased netizen. The viewers almost unanimously disagreed with the scoring because they thought Ilona Maher showed tangible improvement during Dedication Night. Besides the rugby player’s dancing skills, her dedication also moved the audience.

“It’s all the struggle, work, and love for the game that came before us and will come after us that I am dedicating this night to,” Maher said on Instagram. The Olympic medalist explained that her dancing on the DWST stage wasn’t just about cashing in on viral social media success. Instead, she wanted to honor her predecessors and her contemporaries.

Ilona Maher dedicated the performance to the women who pushed the envelope of women’s rugby in the USA while holding “full-time jobs.” The 28-year-old also saw it as a tribute to the teammates who had helped her clinch bronze in Paris. Even the song she chose to perform was a tribute to their Paris Olympics success.

Maher and the DWTS pro Alan Bersten danced rumba to Yseult’s My Way. A cover of the icon Frank Sinatra’s song, Yseult performed a rendition of the ballad during the Olympic closing ceremony, and that’s the one Maher chose to dance to. The rugby star’s sincere and thoughtful tribute seemed to resonate with everyone.

Ilona Maher’s tribute resonated with the fans

One netizen pointed out that one of Maher’s teammates couldn’t hold back her tears during the performance. “Can we just talk about that one teammate just crying her heart out over this dance? Cause I am too girl,” commented the DWTS, who felt just as moved as Maher’s teammate. The entire U.S. National Women’s Rugby Team showed up and the athlete gave it her best shot.

Many viewers thought that Ilona Maher put on her best performance during episode five. “Now THAT was a redemption dance!!!!!! ‘We love you, Queen Ilona,’ we all say in unison,” commented the fan. Unfortunately, the judges didn’t see it that way. While the night’s highest scorers, Danny Amendola and Witney Carson, scored 36, Maher and Bersten scored 32.

The 28-year-old finished on point shy of fellow Olympian Stephen Nedorosick. Thankfully, she didn’t finish at the bottom of the pack like Dwight Howard and Daniella Karagach, who earned 29. Fortunately, the pair avoided the axe thanks to the audience vote preventing elimination. Yet despite Maher moving on to the next round, most Dancing with the Stars fans only discussed one thing.

“Deserved one or two 9’s. She has improved so much and her costume was incredible,” commented one of the many fans who thought Ilona Maher deserved more than she got. While there’s no denying that the athlete has made visible improvements, she may need to push even harder to stay clear of elimination.