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A basketball player from Brigham Young University has captured widespread attention online for her explanation of why her team avoids practicing on Sundays, even during the high-pressure March Madness tournament.
Delaney Gibb, 20, shared with reporters that there are priorities more important than basketball at a press conference before their Final Four game against the Kansas Jayhawks.
“When you take a step back and consider our team’s culture and the faith we uphold, it’s a day for gaining a different perspective on life,” she commented on Monday.
The team went on to secure a victory over Kansas, winning 70 to 67 in the semifinal round of the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament held in Wichita. Earlier in the season, BYU had suffered a 21-point loss to the Jayhawks.
Despite the crucial match, the Provo, Utah-based team chose to honor their tradition by refraining from practicing the day before the game.
‘Obviously, we don’t have that day to prepare and to be able to improve and get better,’ Gibb added, per the Salt Lake Tribune.
‘So when you’re looking at it from that standpoint, it might seem unfair or just a bit more challenging.’
Delaney Gibb, 20, went viral this week for eloquently explaining why she does not practice on Sundays
Gibb is a sophomore at Brigham Young University and plays as a guard on the women’s basketball team
BYU women’s basketball coach Lee Cummard added his own thoughts after Gibb and another player shared their perspectives.
‘It’s something that I really value,’ he said.
‘I know every Sabbath day or Sunday I’m going to be at home with my wife and kids and be able to worship the way that I choose.’
The team lost the championship round 81-64 to Columbia on April 1. Gibb scored 24 points during the game.
Her interview clip went viral, with commenters criticizing the team’s dedication to religion.
It garnered more than three million views, 135 replies and thousands of likes on X.
‘Mormonism is a perversion of God’s truth. It’s definitionally a cult. I pray these young women find the truth in Christ,’ one person said.
Gibb told reporters that she takes Sundays off to ‘have a different perspective on life’
‘Losing in basketball because of a superstition invented by a 19th-century conman,’ another added.
Others supported the team’s decision.
‘I love the comments from these beautiful young women who love Jesus Christ and have witnessed the joy that comes from keeping God’s commandments,’ one person said. ‘Thou shall honor & keep the Sabbath holy.’
‘The awesomeness of the program. Keeping the Lord first above the world,’ another added.
Several people called Gibb ‘beautiful’ while one person referred to her as ‘Mormon Shakira,’ due to her blonde curls.
Gibb joined the team in 2024. During her freshman season, she was honored as the Big 12 Freshman of the Year
Brigham Young University is owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, colloquially known as the Mormon church.
At the religious school, student-athletes are required to follow the school’s honor code.
Per the BYU website, rules include abstaining from alcohol, living a ‘chaste and virtuous life’ and ‘striving to deepen faith and maintain gospel standards.’
Gibb is originally from Canada. She has played guard on BYU’s basketball team since 2024.
During her rookie season, she was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year.
The Daily Mail contacted Gibb and BYU for comment.