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LSU gymnastics star Olivia Dunne is facing a devastating setback as she announced she will miss her final home meet due to a serious knee injury.
The 22-year-old senior, who last competed on January 24 against Arkansas, revealed the news on Instagram Thursday night, sharing that she has been dealing with an avulsion fracture of her patella.
"Unfortunately, I've been dealing with an avulsion fracture of my patella and will not be able to compete on senior night," Dunne wrote. "It absolutely breaks my heart to not get the opportunity to compete in the PMAC one last time."
Her absence from Friday night's meet against Georgia in Baton Rouge raises serious questions about whether she has already competed for LSU for the last time.
Uncertain future for Dunne's season
While Dunne has only ruled herself out for Friday's meet, her status for the rest of the season remains unclear. LSU will face Auburn next Friday before heading into championship season, but with the severity of her knee injury, her return seems unlikely.
Dunne, who took advantage of the NCAA's COVID-19 waiver to compete for a fifth year, played a key role in LSU's first-ever National Championship last season. Her decision to return was fueled by a desire to defend the title and make more memories with her teammates.
"I'm just trying to seize every opportunity and make the most of it and make those memories," she told ESPN in February. "The travel meets are some of the best memories you'll have when you're a college athlete and being with the girls on the team. Even just practice every day is special. These are my sisters, and that's something I'll never forget."
Even if her gymnastics career is cut short, Dunne's post-college future is already set up for major success.
With a massive social media following-5.3 million Instagram followers and 8 million on TikTok-she is one of the biggest names in the NIL space, with an estimated $6 million net worth.
She has already secured lucrative endorsement deals, appearing in high-profile commercials, including one with NFL star Travis Kelce for an energy drink, and even posing for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition.