Olivia Dunne has always been the biggest cheerleader of her LSU team. After getting significant backlash last year due to not contributing much in the finals. This season too, the 22-year-old suffered a disappointing knee fracture, leading her to miss over a month worth of action. Thus, when the Senior Night came, Dunne could not be an active part of the same. But there was no lack of energy and support from the viral gymnast. Moreover, off the mat, Livvy Dunne surely had a great time, as she caught up with gymnastics icon, Suni Lee and even snapped a picture with her. But what about Lee? Did he have an equally good time? Not likely!
The LSU Tigers faced off against Auburn in their final game of the regular season. And guess who was there to support Auburn? Well, it was none other than the 2-time Olympic gold medalist and the former Auburn gymnast, Sunisa Lee. Lee turned up wearing a slick Auburn jacket that elevated her style quotient further. And spotting her in the arena, Dunne was surely not the one to sit back quietly. She immediately came up to Lee and the duo posed for a vibrant picture, which Livvy Dunne posted on her Instagram story with the caption, “We are so back @sunisalee.” But certainly, not all of it was pretty! Suni Lee’s visit ought to have turned sour given the turn of events on the mat, as the LSU Tigers won their 3rd SEC title in program history, leaving the Auburns in the dust. The show the LSU gymnasts put up was nothing short of extraordinary.
Putting up a dominant display, the Tigers were announced 2025 SEC Regular Season Champions. The last time they won it was way back in 2018. This year, the LSU Tigers had been on a dominant run. Olivia Dunne’s teammates had an 11-2 overall record and a 7-1 mark in conference play. Competing against the No.14 Auburn, the Tigers cruised to a 198.200-197.550 victory. The star of the night? Freshman Kailin Chio without an iota of doubt. Chio scored the first perfect 10 of her collegiate career on the vault. The rest of the team wasn’t far behind, sweeping all five titles of the competition, with Haleigh Bryant claiming bars, beam and all-around and Aleah Finnegan claiming the floor title. Of course, Livvy Dunne was through it all, cheering for her girls, even though she has been far from okay this season.
Despite not performing, Dunne turned up in her team’s leotard and acted as the cheerleader. However, for the past one month, her knee has been giving her some significant trouble.
Heartbreak echoed for LSU fans as Olivia Dunne confirmed devastating injury just days before senior night
Olivia Dunne’s hopes of closing out her LSU career with a memorable senior night were dashed by a crushing injury update just weeks before the finale. Just as fans were holding out hope for her return, Dunne took to Instagram on March 6, 2025, to deliver the heartbreaking news. “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 revealed, confirming that she’ll miss one of the most emotional nights of her career. The 22-year-old’s injury was a bitter episode in an otherwise glorious season of the LSU Tigers.
While her teammates celebrated the program’s success, Livvy Dunne was grappling with the harsh reality of her situation. The star gymnast, who had been managing knee issues all season, admitted the emotional toll of missing out on her final home meet. Expressing extreme disappointment, Dunne stated, “It absolutely breaks my heart to not get the opportunity to compete in the PMAC one last time.” The final performance on LSU’s home turf was nothing less than extraordinary. On March 7th, the LSU Tigers achieved a spectacular 198.575 victory over Georgia’s 197.175 at the PMAC in Baton Rouge. However, amid this, Coach Jay Clark had recently tried to frame the seniors’ journey in a positive light.
“We shouldn’t eulogize our seniors, we should celebrate our seniors,” Clark had said. LSU’s head coach tried to encourage fans to focus on the achievements rather than the setbacks of the athletes. But Olivia Dunne’s latest update casts doubt on whether she’ll even be part of the senior night celebrations. Her last appearance at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center — a 9.875 floor routine against Florida on January 17 — might have unknowingly marked the end of her LSU career.
As Dunne faces an uncertain path forward, her fans are left wondering if this injury spells the end of her competitive run. However, for now, the focus shifts to celebration, as overcoming all setbacks, LSU secured their win ending the regular season.
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