A Brigham Young University basketball player gained droves of online attention for explaining why her team refuses to practice on Sundays amid March Madness.
Delaney Gibb, 20, told the media that some things ‘are bigger than basketball,’ at a press conference before the Final Four game against the Kansas Jayhawks.
‘When you step back and look at it from our team and the culture that we’ve built and the faith that we have, it’s a day that we get to have a different perspective on life,’ she said on Monday.
‘There’s things that are bigger than basketball and Jesus Christ and having faith in him is something that’s bigger than basketball.’
The team ended up beating Kansas 70 to 67 in the semifinal round of the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament in Wichita. BYU previously lost to the Jayhawks by 21 points earlier in the season.
The Provo, Utah-based team famously abstained from practicing for the high-stakes match-up the day prior.
‘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.
