Fans Stand Behind Former UCLA Gymnast’s ‘Petty’ Behavior as She Celebrated Florida Gators’ NCAA Achievement

Being a standout for UCLA, she has made quite a name for herself due to her commanding presence. And she has graced the screens of talk shows, not just for her great sports achievements but also for the implications of her decisions. And with her recent transfer to the Gators, a new avenue of success has seemed to have opened for her. Who are we talking about, you ask?

Well, Selena Harris-Miranda, of course. One of the most decorated gymnasts of her Selena’s path has been unlike anyone else. The difficulties of setting up for an elite withdrawal to developing as a crucial part of her new squad, she has presented a bundle of grit and determination that brings in people. Why is she now in the limelight?

Drama stirred the gymnastics community this week when a former UCLA gymnast rocked with an Instagram story. The post, which happened to come when third place was secured by the Florida Gators in the Week 3 NCAA rankings, stirred controversy on Reddit, with some fans calling it “petty,” while others found it just fun and relatable.

The Reddit post has the caption, “Selena Harris-Miranda shared this on IG. Very interesting text placement or just petty?” What does the Instagram story say? It has the image of the top 10 rankings and a text that reads, Period, with two kiss emojis. What do the rankings say?

According to the third-week rankings, Oklahoma State topped the ranking with an average of 197.758, and LSU ranked second with 197.5 points. Where do the Florida Gators stand? They rose to third place with an average of 197.043, and Utah (196.958) and Michigan State (197.0000) completed the top five.

Selena Harris-Miranda is the most well-known all-around gymnast in recent years. She placed fifth overall, tied for first place on vault, and tenth on bars at the end of the 2024 season, finishing in the top 20 in every individual category. Harris-Miranda remembered receiving only three offers after graduating high school as the 2022 class’ top overall recruit: UCLA, Utah, and Iowa.

Unlike many other No. 1 recruits, Harris-Miranda was not heavily recruited because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Harris-Miranda had aspirations of competing in the SEC ever since she decided to pursue gymnastics in college.

Her journey has been amazing till now. She gave her all to UCLA and moved to the Florida Gators in 2024, though there is no real reason known for her transfer. Now, what do the gymnastics fans have to say about Harris-Miranda’s move?

“I love a little pettiness”: Fans backed Selena Harris-Miranda

Selena Harris-Miranda’s recent Instagram story about the NCAA rankings has sparked a lively debate among gymnastics fans. Her post was labeled as “petty” by a few people, yet others reasoned out that she had every right to communicate with her about how she felt due to the circumstances that were caused by her leaving the UCLA gymnastics team.

One Reddit user succinctly put it, “Petty. But if that makes her happy… then whatever.” This expression reflects the duality of the fan club, who are either onside with looking the post over as a set of easygoing images of themselves or view them as unwarranted tensions in the field of competitive gymnastics. Some of the fans found it pitiful, while the other part claimed it to be at the border of adequacy.

“If she’d gone after specific people, then maybe it crosses the line—but she got kicked off a team; it’s not surprising that she’s pissed and wants revenge,” another Reddit user argued. Harris-Miranda hit the transfer portal less than two months after winning the all-around, vault, and bars at the Pac-12 Championships, becoming the final Pac-12 Gymnast of the Year, and scoring an all-around score of 39.900 in the Bruins’ regular-season finale. UCLA fired her from the program for an undisclosed reason.

One user commented, “I love a little pettiness. As someone who enjoys a bit of drama but is too easily distressed to start shit myself, I often prefer athletes who exhibit a little diva behavior.” It’s worth noting that athletes often face scrutiny when switching teams or exiting programs under strained circumstances. But fans find it okay until they are giving 100% to the sport.

One user defended Harris-Miranda by saying, “Y’all are so dramatic. We probably won’t ever know what happened, but if this is “shade,” it’s barely there. She still has UCLA content on her IG, anyway.” Harris Miranda said, “I can be picky if I want to, and what I want, what I don’t want. I was asking all the questions,” as she narrated the story to ‘Gymnastics Now.’

Others defended Harris-Miranda by highlighting the double standards female athletes face. “I don’t really think it’s as bad as everyone is making it out to be. If this was a male and a football player making shade at their previous school, no one would bat an eye,” a fan remarked, pointing to broader discussions of gender biases.

Similar discussions have also popped up in the history of sports with male athletes like Baker Mayfield and Aaron Rodgers, who expressed controversial views towards their teams but were hardly criticized. The hot Reddit talk points not only to the article from Harris-Miranda but also to the broader social narrative on athlete behavior and their public perception in the era of social media.