“For our sport, there’s no NBA, there’s no NFL. There’s no opportunity for these kids, after they complete their collegiate career, to go on and to do it professionally,” Jay Clark said in ‘The Money Game’ documentary while comparing the sports. Unfortunately, the LSU Gymnastics coach was right on his point, and the problem he mentioned has yet to get a solution. However, nothing stands still. The sporting world has moved further with the days. The college gymnastics, NBA, and NFL are on their way to moving things forward. But yet again, the comparison between the NBA and college gymnastics has come up. The credit goes to Olivia Dunne’s performance on Friday last week. 

The LSU Gymnastics team is moving toward its next contest, the Quad Meet, hosted to be in Oklahoma. The defending national champion program has started its fresh season with a stunning victory. Now, the program wants to carry on the momentum. In the upcoming weeks, that would be the most needed factor for them. Coach Jay Clark thinks in that way. Also, he knows the seniors’ role and value in the squad to keep the momentum. Last Friday, the squad didn’t have Haleigh Bryant’s service. But seniors like Olivia Dunne stood up and played their roles beautifully to claim the victory. In the gymnastics week 2 press conference, the coach mentioned that part. 

The coach wasn’t much surprised at seeing Olivia’s performance last Friday. For him, Livvy is someone who has been doing such a job season after season. In the past, she had minimum chances to show her color. But whenever she earned a call, she utilized and stood up for the program’s cause. That feature of hers impresses Jay Clark. According to him, Livvy played the same role last year as well. Yet, she remained the unsung hero. The coach, however, had a wish to celebrate her contributions. 

Last year, Olivia Dunne didn’t receive any individual award from the NCAA on the final night. But her coach had a wish to give her one. In the press conference, Clark claimed, “I don’t think umm I’ve said before I don’t think she gets the credit she deserves sometimes, uh, in terms of the impact that she’s had for us, cuz um, that role she played almost all year last year was extremely important and if they if we had a the equivalent of a Sixth Man award like they have in the NBA, I would say she probably would have been a favorite to win.” There goes the NBA reference! But what is the Sixth Man award? Any guesses? 

Since the 1982-83 NBA season, the basketball league has been conferring the standout players with the award. But what is the difference between the year’s best title and the Sixth Man of the Year award? Well, here it goes. The NBA has been giving the Sixth Man award to those basketball players who have played outstandingly for their team, coming off the bench. Last year, Minnesota Timberwolves’ Nazreon Hilton claimed the title. According to Jay Clark, Olivia Dunne could have been a contender to win the award if the college gymnastics had the award. But why should she have been a brilliant choice to claim the title? 

Last year, Livvy appeared in the floor exercise event eight times only while she competed in the bar and floor events nine times only. The rest of the season, she was either away because of her injury or was on the bench as a substitute. Still, whenever she had her chance, she scored big. Example? Last year, Livvy set her career high, 9.900, on the floor exercise. The number helped her squad to claim the Podium Challenge. Moreover, in the NCAA Fayetteville Regional Second Round, she posted 9.875 in the uneven bars. The score stood as her season-best performance, and it gave an extra edge to the LSU Gymnastics in the squad’s meet at the podium challenge. The coach duly remembers those performances. Naturally, he found the Sixth Man award to be the best recognition for Olivia Dunne. Yet, a chunk of gymnastics fans still count her overrated. 

Olivia Dunne has a bittersweet fate in gymnastics 

On Friday, Olivia Dunne contributed heavily to help LSU Gymnastics score its highest opening day number. The 197.300 posed the highest opening-day score for the Tigers since 2010. Livvy herself put 9.825 on the beam at first. Later, in the floor exercise event, the 22-year-old caused elation in her fans, scoring 9.875. The combination of those scores kept the LSU Tigers ahead of rival Iowa State. The coach praised her performance. In the Gymnastics Week 2 press conference, Jay Clark said, “Her leaps are great, and she shows those 180 splits really well, and, um, you know, she did a great job. She’s a serious competitor. She’s always, you know, been in the mix, um, even when she hasn’t been out there for us.” But her critics found nothing commendable in her performance. 

Moreover, they remained busy in finding Livvy’s shortcomings to neglect her presence in the lineup. One such user wrote, “Severely overrated and also edits all her social media pics—please feature her less.” Another one wrote, “Most overhyped gymnast in the history of ever.” However, for Olivia Dunne, criticisms like these are not new. Last year, she didn’t feature in the NCAA Gymnastics Championships final. She was on the bench. A large chunk of gymnastics fans mocked her, calling her a ‘bench warmer.’ It seems like the same episode is continuing. Meanwhile, Olivia is receiving flowers from the veterans.