ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith issued a playful warning to Molly Qerim upon her return from vacation, urging her not to interrupt him during her comeback to the First Take set.
Qerim resumed her hosting duties on First Take following a brief hiatus to celebrate her 40th birthday with a vacation abroad, the destination of which she kept under wraps.
Her absence from the show spanned from Monday to Wednesday, but she made a triumphant return on Thursday morning, appearing rejuvenated and radiant as she settled into her seat at ESPN’s New York studio.
Joined by Smith, Kimberly A. Martin, and Damien Woody, Qerim wasted no time in engaging with her co-hosts, light-heartedly remarking on their shared presence in the studio and prompting a celebratory high-five from Smith.
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As Smith attempted to inquire about her vacation, Qerim playfully deflected his curiosity by diverting the conversation to his own recent time off. However, Smith couldn’t resist teasing her about leaving the country, prompting Qerim to jokingly scold him for revealing her vacation secrets.
Despite the banter, Qerim eventually opened up about her trip, expressing her excitement about her alma mater, the University of Connecticut, particularly their men’s and women’s basketball teams’ achievements in the NCAA Tournaments. She noted the tough challenge facing the men’s team against Caitlin Clark but remained optimistic about their chances.
As a UConn alumna, Qerim’s enthusiasm for her alma mater’s athletic success was palpable, particularly with both basketball teams reaching the Final Four in their respective tournaments.
Molly and Stephen even got into an argument about Caitlin Clark:
“All I gotta say is she’s lucky this UConn team isn’t healthy… if Paige Bueckers didn’t basically miss two seasons, I don’t know if we’d be talking about Caitlin Clark the way we are right now.” Stephen A. Smith: “I said that the other day.” Molly: “Well I was out of the country.”
With the men’s team eyeing a historic back-to-back championship, Qerim’s passion for her school’s sports legacy shone through.
