The LSU Tigers seemed to take over the 2023 ESPY Awards, and gymnast and social media star Olivia Dunne was among those leading charge on Wednesday at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.
Dunne hyped up her fellow LSU Tigers at different points of the night and even equated the ESPY Awards to a regular day on LSU’s campus.
“A lot of people ask me what it’s like being at the ESPYS surrounded by elite athletes, literal champions and the people at the very top of their sport,” Dunne said into the camera on the telecast. “Honestly, it’s just like a normal day at LSU. Right guys?”
The camera then panned out to show the 2023 national champion Lady Tigers women’s baseball team sitting in the audience.
At another point in the broadcast, cameras caught Dunne, 20, cheering emphatically for LSU basketball star Angel Reese when she appeared on stage.
LSU had plenty to celebrate during Wednesday’s ESPYS, as the women’s basketball team was nominated for the Best Team award while Reese took home the Best Breakthrough Athlete award.
It’s been a big year overall for LSU athletics, which has attained plenty of hardware.
The women’s basketball team captured the national title over Caitlin Clark and the University of Iowa while the baseball team won the College World Series over SEC rival Florida.
And this past week, LSU’s Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews were selected first and second overall in the 2023 MLB Draft — becoming the first college teammates to do so.
Dunne has made it a habit of supporting LSU athletics through her social media and her presence at sporting events, including making the trek to Omaha to support the Tigers during the College World Series.
Dunne also posted about Skenes and Crews on her Instagram story after they were drafted.
“Great day to be a tiger!” she wrote Sunday in her social media post.
The 20-year-old gymnast also recently launched the Livvy Fund to help fellow female athletes at LSU get NIL deals.
Dunne’s whirlwind year has also included becoming a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, an honor she shared with Reese.
