“Did Absolutely Nothing”: Olivia Dunne’s NCAA Finals Absence Has Gymnastics Fans Fighting Over Her Contribution to LSU Win

LSU created history! The LSU Tigers claimed their first Championship title and thus became the eighth program in NCAA history to win the women’s championship. Naturally, Olivia Dunne was elated. She didn’t leave a chance to celebrate the win despite her being benched in the finals. And this became a point of contention when fans saw her with the trophy.

Resorting to her Instagram, the 21-year-old posted a video of her team members euphorically dancing with the championship trophy. The caption of the post read, “forever LSU. #champions#ncaa#lsu#gymnastics.” The storybook ending of her college career was almost unbelievable. Who wouldn’t want to win a trophy on their way out?

In the reel, Dunne is seen kissing the laurel as she screams in excitement just like a little child. The night’s win came after Aleah Finnegan executed a near-perfect balance beam performance to secure a 9.95.

In fact, in the final rotation, the team received a 49.7625- the highest in LSU’s history. However, going into the fourth rotation, they were 0.0375 points behind Utah. But soon, they would dominate. Sierra Ballard set a fantastic tone for the final rotation with 9.95. But after Savannah Schoenherr’s unexpected fall, LSU was on its toes. Konnor McClain scored a 9.9625, whereas Kiya Johnson and Haleigh Bryant each scored a 9.95. In the end, Finnegan sealed their win with a 9.95. Thus, they left Utah, California, and Florida behind.

Though Livvy wasn’t a part of the Final Four, she played an integral role in LSU’s successes throughout. Her massive presence as the most valuable college athlete took LSU’s worth up a notch. It put the team on the radar. But this was not what some fans thought, as she was not one of the highlight performers in the meet season. Below her celebratory post on Instagram, Olivia Dunne’s fans are left divided over her contribution to the big win.

Gymnastics fans question Dunne’s role as a team competitor

One fan expressed confusion about how a NIL earner has not completed enough. They wrote, “I’m confused. Top 5 NIL earner, but doesn’t actually compete?” Another one wrote, “You did absolutely nothing. Haleigh Bryant carried yall all season.”

Comments like “Congratulations to your teammates, who actually competed in the event” and “Congrats to the team. Maybe it should be clearer that you didn’t actually compete in the final. That’s absolutely fine – everybody on a team contributes. Just don’t want to mislead anybody” were abundant.

However, Dunne has contributed throughout the season. Remember the SEC Championship in March? She was a part of it. Together, the team earned its fifth SEC Championship title. With a score of 198.075, it was LSU’s highest score at the SEC Championship. Olivia Dunne had competed on the bars and scored a 9.800.

Hence, some fans also appreciated her. One fan said in Livvy’s defense that her participation should be appreciated. “Don’t be jealous of her accomplishments. Hard Work Pays Daily.”

“Lots of salt flowing in the comments. Guess what? She’s popular, rich, and contributed to a national championship team. More than anything you’ve done.” Even golf’s Paige Spiranac was happy for Dunne. “Congratulations!!” she wrote under her post. However, what does the gymnast have to say about the historic win?

 “It is still feeling unreal. I am still trying to get my voice back from cheering so loud… It was an unforgettable experience, and I’ll probably be thinking about it for the rest of my life,” she said in an interview with ‘Today’. But the celebration doesn’t end here. A Championship parade and ceremony will be held on Wednesday, April 24. It begins at 6:30 p.m. CT at LSU’s School of Music. The parade will feature the gymnastics team, the head coach Jay Clark, and other coaches.