Similar to Paige Bueckers or Juju Watkins, Olivia Dunne is leveraging the NIL ecosystem to give back — but in a different way. Dunne, who had the third biggest NIL valuation in 2023 and was the only woman in the top 10, used her success to create opportunities for other female athletes at LSU. 

This peer-to-peer support, facilitated through the Livvy Fund and its partnership with Bayou Traditions, addresses a critical need for equity in the NIL landscape, where female athletes have historically received less attention and fewer financial benefits than their male counterparts. In 2025, LSU’s basketball star Flau'jae Johnson became the first woman to break into the national NIL rankings — but she’s 50th! It’s just more proof that a lot of work needs to be done to get female athletes the same recognition and compensation as their male counterparts.

We love that Dunne's approach is multifaceted, offering not just financial opportunities, but also valuable mentorship and education in navigating the complexities of NIL deals and personal branding. Dunne has also expressed a compelling long-term vision for her fund, with aspirations to expand its model to benefit female student-athletes at other universities across the nation, multiplying its impact.

YOUR NEXT PLAY:

We’ve said it before: it’s on all of us to support women’s sports. So we challenge you to feature a female student-athlete in one of your next campaigns!