LSU's Dunne Stresses Importance of Capitalizing on NIL for Women

Tigers' star gymnast Olivia Dunne highlights why NIL is an important opportunity for female student-athletes

Even someone with a basic understanding of Name, Image and Likeness knows that LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne is dominating the space.

But at LSU it isn’t just her - it’s several female athletes, including basketball star Angel Reese. And the chasm between what they’re making - or their NIL value - and what professional female athletes make, has Dunne believing that the time is now for female college athletes to cash in.

“There are many more professional leagues for men’s sports after college, rather than women’s sports,” Dunne said to The Reveille, the student newspaper at LSU. “It’s really important for female student athletes to capitalize on your NIL while you’re in college.”

Dunne has a myriad of NIL deals, the most visible of which, at least during sporting events, is her partnership with Vuori Clothing. Dunne has also created The Livvy Fund, which helps connect her LSU teammates with companies that are looking to partner on NIL deals. One such deal came about with Accelerator Active Drink last fall.

It’s not clear exactly how much Dunne makes off NIL. But On3.com ranks Dunne’s value at $3.4 million, the highest of any female college athlete. Two LSU women’s basketball players - Reese and Flau’jae Johnson - have values of better than $1 million.

Dunne is accurate in that there are fewer professional opportunities for female athletes. In the U.S. two of the most significant leagues being the WNBA (basketball) and the NWSL (soccer).

In fact, Dunne’s NIL valuation brings into perspective the drop financially athletes like Dunne and Iowa’s Caitlin Clark - who has an NIL valuation of $809,000 - face once they leave college.

WNBA players can earn a maximum of $234,936. Candace Parker, one of the best-known players in the WNBA and a two-time MVP, took a pay cut last year to chase a third title with the Las Vegas Aces.

The biggest contract in the NWSL belongs to Maria Sánchez, who signed a three-year, $1.1 million deal with the Houston Dash.

Athletes like Dunne, Reese, Johnson and Clark have helped set the table for thousands of their fellow student-athletes. But Dunne is aware of the drop-off once they leave schools, which means each must strike while the opportunities are there.