Olivia Dunne of LSU gymnastics responded again to criticism of her NIL deals. On TikTok, the 21-year-old athlete and influencer reviewed the 2022 New York Times piece criticizing her NIL partnerships.
Dunne wanted everyone to know she's still alive and well despite the hate. Her caption read, “Get with the times.”
Dunne's essay referenced “New Endorsements for College Athletes Resurface an Old Concern: S*x Sells.”
The NIL arrangements for Dunne can be “regressive” for women's sports.
I suppose we occasionally swing like a pendulum, taking two leaps forward and then two steps back.
We're fighting for all the possibilities to compete, play, have resources, facilities, coaches, and all the things that go with Olympic-caliber athletics," Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer told The New York Times of the beauty-focused NIL movement.
Dunne took offense to the article, which many saw as a hit piece on the LSU gymnast's rising fame.
Olivia Dunne didn't let criticism stop her. It hasn't stopped her from maximizing NIL deals.
According to On3, Dunne's NIL is $3.2 million, third among college athletes and highest among women.
While many disagree on how Dunne got her NIL deals, fans will be glad to know that women's sports have grown significantly in recent years.
Female athletes and sports are gaining recognition, and hopes are strong that it will continue.