While the gymnastics scene is currently in the off-season, the NCAA is set to provide a plethora of action in the coming days leading up to the New Year. Indeed, there are many teams to look forward to for fans, but most of the eyes will be locked in on Louisiana State University. Why so? They are the defending champions, and the fans will want to see them go on a dominating run once again in 2025.

However, LSU has come across its fair share of troubles even though the season hasn’t started yet. But what happened? One of their ace gymnasts got injured, and their coach has been pushing stern comments about expectations and performances. The tension has also given room for the critics to barge in and disturb the mentality of the team. However, Olivia Dunne couldn’t just let the haters bash her and her team, and taking matters into her own hands, she has shared a strong message despite all the problems surrounding LSU at the moment.

No matter what Olivia Dunne will never stand for hate

It’s a common phenomenon that once a team or gymnast starts struggling in their campaign, they are immediately swarmed by hate from the critics. From her early career, Olivia Dunne has always been a target of these internet users, who have nothing but negative comments towards the athletes. However, she doesn’t mind bashing them back and holding nothing behind, despite her being a reputed figure in the sporting industry.

Dunne is an avid user of social media, as she always keeps her audience updated by using the platforms. Recently, on TikTok, she uploaded a new video with a caption stating, “Y’all better BE THERE!“ The gymnast welcomed her fans to the new NCAA season, and she demanded full attendance during LSU’s debut game against Iowa State on January 3, 2025. While there were many positive comments from her legion of followers, there was one sarcastic message that caught her attention.

“Every year I look forward to watching the same bar routine !!!“ a critic stated about Dunne’s particular move. But this time, the gymnast wasn’t going to let it go, as she immediately replied to them, stating, “Tell me you don’t know about college gymnastics without telling me u don’t know college gymnastics.“ Well, that was an ouchie! Indeed, the pressure was already getting a lot on the senior college gymnast, and she wasn’t going to ignore the criticism this time. But why is there so much strain?

At the Gymnastics 101 event, the LSU gymnasts were showcasing their skills prior to the official start of the NCAA season. And what happened? Haleigh Bryant, while executing her vault routine, injured the ulnar collateral ligament on her elbow, which sidelined her immediately from the campaign. Indeed, this was a big disaster for the gymnast and her team, and coach Jay Clarke was fast to respond to it, stating, “That doesn’t happen. I’m not concerned about what I call aberrations. I’m concerned that some of our depth looked scared.” 

After the mishap, LSU’s coach is concerned that one of their top gymnasts won’t be available at the season opener against Iowa State. He and his team aimed for a top-tier start to the campaign, but it looks like fate has different plans for them. With the absence of a senior gymnast in the squad, Dunne does feel more responsible for her future role in the team. However, despite all the dedication, she got a new moniker from none other than the critics.

Getting the benchwarmer tag from the community

“There’s people calling me just mean things, calling me a professional bench warmer,” Olivia Dunne said in Amazon’s Money Game documentary. But why was she given this new moniker, which has negatively impacted her reputation within the community? In the previous season, Dunne was a vital part of LSU. Indeed, she did participate in the matches. However, the gymnast was absent in the finals, where her team proceeded to secure the NCAA title, and as she was an indirect part of the squad, she also got to become an NCAA champion.

However, this sparked a ton of debate in the community, and eventually, the critics came up with this brand new name for the LSU gymnast. But does it bother her? While it might hurt for some time, despite putting in so much effort, she was termed as the “benchwarmer.” However, Dunne has her own way of responding, and she did it with her performance at the Gymnastics 101 event. The NCAA champion performed various moves and immediately caught the attention of not only the judges but also the audience.

This campaign will be the last one of her collegiate gymnastics career, and Dunne is looking forward to maximizing her results before heading into her professional career. Despite the uncertainty of her future, Dunne understands the importance of every performance and is prepared to give her best.