Paul Skenes' girlfriend Olivia Dunne radiates championship energy before big NCAA night

Modified Apr 17, 2025 03:20 GMT

The NCAA gymnastics season is in the final stages, and Paul Skenes' girlfriend, Olivia Dunne, is ready for it. Though ruled out of her fifth and final season due to knee injury, Dunne traveled with her LSU Tigers gymnastics team to the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, for the NCAA Semifinal on Thursday.

Dunne, who was part of the Tigers roster that won the NCAA championship last year, is sharing photos from the event and is leaving none of the energy behind.

In the lead-up to the NCAA Semifinal showdown in Fort Worth, Texas, on Wednesday, she posed alongside teammate Aloyona Shchennikovo in front of a vibrant “Howdy, Fort Worth” backdrop, donning LSU’s official warm-up gear.

The duo showcased team spirit and were confident they would repeat as champions this season as well.

The story was captioned:

"NATTYS BABY! 😁"

Another photo captures the gymnasts beaming under the massive scoreboard at Dickies Arena — home to the 2024 NCAA Gymnastics Championships.

With LSU entering the tournament as the No. 1 seed, all eyes are on the Tigers to make a statement in Session II, which features matchups against Michigan State (8), UCLA (5) and Utah (4). The top two teams from each semifinal will advance to Saturday's much-anticipated Four on the Floor national championship round.

Where can one watch Paul Skenes' girlfriend Olivia Dunne's LSU Tigers in action?

LSU fans will be glued to ESPN2 Thursday night at 8:00 p.m. CT, when the Tigers hit the floor for a chance to advance to Saturday's title round.

Coming into this game, the Tigers finished the regular season, sharing the SEC title with the Oklahoma Sooners. In the SEC Championship, the Tigers, with a score of 198.200, defeated No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 3 Florida, No. 4 Missouri, No. 8 Alabama, No. 5 Kentucky, No. 6 Georgia, and No. 7 Auburn to defend their conference title.

In the NCAA Regional Second Round, Olivia Dunne's teammates defeated No. 16 Arkansas, Michigan and Maryland with a score of 198.100. Inn the NCAA Regional Final, the Lady Tigers defeated No. 8 Michigan State, No. 9 Kentucky, and No. 16 Arkansas with a score of 198.050.

Now, all eyes will be on Dunne & Co. to see if they can claim back-to-back NCAA titles.

About the author

Krutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball's rules and Clayton Kershaw's pitching to have hooked him to the game.

A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial "one player from the past you could meet" question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson's impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.

A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash