Olivia Dunne shares 2-word reaction as teammate Aleah Finnegan becomes AAI Award finalist

Olivia Dunne has shared her reaction after LSU Tigers’ teammate and senior gymnast Aleah Finnegan was chosen as one of the six finalists for the 2025 AAI Award. The award is presented to the nation's top senior female gymnast.

From a long list of gymnasts competing in the USA collegiate circuit, Finnegan has been nominated, with the final list narrowed down to six. The other gymnasts who are in contention for the award are Jade Carey (Oregon State Beavers), Leanne Wong (Florida Gators), Grace McCallum (Utah Red Rocks), Jordan Bowers (Oklahoma Sooners), and Audrey Davis (Oklahoma Sooners).

Following the announcement by American Athletic, Inc. (AAI) on the six finalists Wednesday, the LSU Tigers’ official Instagram handle gave a shoutout to the Paris Olympian, captioning the post:

“Aleah Finnegan. AAI Award Finalist. 👑 @aleahfinn is one of six finalists for the prestigious award, which is given to the nation’s top senior gymnast!”

Finnegan’s teammate and fifth-year senior, Olivia Dunne, commented on this post with a two-word reaction, writing:

“Yess maam!!!”

Screenshot of Olivia Dunne’s comment on LSU Gymnastics post. Credits - Instagram/@lsugym

On March 14, the LSU Tigers concluded their successful regular season with a win over Auburn University by finishing with a score of 198.200-197.550. The team will aim for their second consecutive SEC title when they compete at the championships on March 22.

Olivia Dunne reflects on key factors she takes into consideration in choosing brand partnerships

Olivia Dunne prior to a meet against the Auburn Tigers (Photo by Stew Milne/Getty Images)

Olivia Dunne opened up on the key factors she considers when partnering with a brand. In an interaction with Forbes in September 2023, she stated (4:24 onwards):

“Yeah, it definitely needs to feel authentic to me. I feel like my audience can also detect if something's not authentic and my core values need to align with the brands.”

She was further questioned on whether she remembered any instance where the response was an immediate no. To which, she reacted:

“If it doesn't align with my core values, then it's an immediate no. Things that I have turned down: alcohol things and also other things that seem too explicit. I am still in college, I'm a college kid, I'm on a team, and I just want to keep it clean. And also, sometimes it's too many deliverables for my busy schedule and sometimes brands don't realize that.”

In the same interview, Dunne emphasized her desire to see women at the forefront of NIL which allows athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness, with the limited professional leagues available for female athletes after college. She also viewed NIL deals as an opportunity to capitalize on their success.