Fox News Flash top sports headlines for January 5
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LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne boasts a fervent fan base which has allowed her to score some lucrative name, image and likeness deals and be in the spotlight as a female athlete.
On TikTok alone, Dunne has nearly 7 million followers, and it is because of the wild fan base that she had to caution them to take it down a notch after reports of incidents surfaced after a meet between LSU and Utah.
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Fans hold signs for Olivia Dunne of LSU during a PAC-12 meet against Utah at Jon M. Huntsman Center on Jan. 6, 2023 in Salt Lake City. (Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
Olympic gold medalist Kathy Johnson Clarke revealed she was asked several times by fans if she was Dunne’s mother while the mother of a Utah athlete took to Facebook to claim Tigers fans were "so rude and disrespectful," according to OutKick.
On Sunday, Dunne tweeted she appreciated the support but asked fans to be more respectful.
LSU'S OLIVIA DUNNE CLAPS BACK AT CRITICS OVER NIL DEALS: 'IS THIS TOO MUCH?'
"I will always appreciate and love the support from you guys, but if you come to a meet, I want to ask you to please be respectful of the other gymnasts and the gymnastics community as we are just doing our job," she wrote.
LSU lost to Utah 197.275-196.725. Utah entered the meet as the No. 3 team in the nation. The Tigers were ranked No. 6.
Olivia Dunne of LSU takes a selfie with fans after a PAC-12 meet against Utah at Jon M. Huntsman Center on Jan. 6, 2023 in Salt Lake City. (Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
Olivia Dunne of LSU looks on after a PAC-12 meet against Utah at Jon M. Huntsman Center on Jan. 6, 2023 in Salt Lake City. (Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
Dunne is one of the most followed collegiate athletes on social media. According to On3 Sports, Dunne has an NIL valuation of $2.3 million. She reportedly earns around $2 million with various sponsorships, including the activewear brand Vuori, American Eagle and Planet Fuel. Dunne is also signed to one of the biggest agencies in WME Sports.
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Dunne is a junior at LSU. When Dunne first started at LSU in 2021, she made the SEC’s First-Year Academic Honor Roll and was a WCGA Academic All-American as well. She was a WCGA All-American in the uneven bars and, in 2022, was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll.