LSU gymnastics star Olivia ‘Livvy‘ Dunne, one of the most marketable stars in college sports, hammered a fan who trolled her for using her fifth year of college eligibility to return to the team.
Dunne had posted about Senior Night, where, just hours before, she had to pull out of a competition due to an injury. The gymnast suffered an avulsion fracture of her patella, and there is some concern that her career as a collegiate athlete might be over as a result.
“Hi friends! Unfortunately, I’ve been dealing with an avulsion fracture of my patella and will not be able to compete on senior night,” Dunne wrote on social media.
“It absolutely breaks my heart to not get the opportunity to compete in the PMAC one last time. Tiger fans, you’ve been so good to me!” she added, perhaps a sign that she was saying goodbye. “Thank you for the endless support and, as always, Geaux Tigers!”
Unfortunately, a troll caught her eye when they responded, “Don’t worry, you’ll be a senior for the next 10 years.”
Livvy Dunne Fires Back
First of all, troll person, you’re clearly tired of the LSU star getting attention. But man, how could you possibly be tired of Livvy Dunne?
Seriously.
Dunne fired back at the troll, asking the obvious question, “Why do you care?”
She then went into further detail, explaining why she decided to return to school for a fifth year of eligibility.
“I don’t really understand what’s so hard to get,” said Dunne. “I came to college in 2020, got granted a fifth-year because of COVID and I came back for the fifth year. I only see this comment on female athletes’ posts, and why do you care if I come back for a fifth year and have another year of eligibility? Like why do you care?”
Totally fair. We here at Bounding can’t even imagine what college must have been like during Covid.
@livvy Replying to @Clayton Bigsby yall look ridiculous #foryou #college #gymnastics #ncaa #senior ♬ original sound – Olivia Dunne
RELATED: She’s Back! Livvy Dunne Announces Return to LSU for Fifth Year
Why She Came Back
Livvy Dunne was very clear about her intent to return for a fifth year of eligibility this past September. Even after she led the Tigers to the school’s first NCAA Championship last year.
Oddly enough, while some athletes might choose the peak moment in their career to walk off into the sunset, Olivia believed reaching that summit is what ultimately helped her decide to return.
“I really want to come back — well, first of all, we won last year,” Dunne said in an exclusive interview with The New York Post.
“It was so exciting for not only our team but the whole university. And that’s a feeling that I want to feel again,” she added. “It was so special in the bond with the girls.”
However, if we’re being honest, Dunne likely considered her potential for NIL earnings in making the decision. A New York Post report has described Livvy as a “$9.5 million NIL legend.”
Once you leave college as a gymnast, the options are limited almost exclusively to the Olympics and World Championships, where making money is rather tricky. So why not “get the bag” while she can?
More about:Athletics News