Cavinder Twins explain decision to leave Miami, college basketball: 'There's more opportunities besides basketball'

Hanna and Haley Cavinder shocked many when they decided not to take their fifth year of eligibility and move on from college basketball. However, they’re not planning on leaving the limelight anytime soon.

The twin former Miami basketball stars, who have become some of the brightest examples of NIL since its onset, believe there’s more room to grow off the court in their future. Joining NBC’s The Today Show on Thursday morning, the Cavinders elaborated on why they’re leaving the game, and what’s next.

“I think after playing all four years together and deciding not to take our fifth year, we decided there’s more opportunities besides basketball,” explained Haley Cavinder. “Obviously it’s such a difficult position to be in, because we wanted to take our fifth year and continue to play, but I think it came down to just optimizing all the opportunities that we have ahead of us.”

Last spring, Hanna and Haley Cavinder left Fresno State and entered the transfer portal, deciding to continue playing college basketball with the Hurricanes. The move to South Beach presented more NIL opportunities, elevating their national profile. 

It also helped their On3 NIL Valuations to balloon gigantic heights, as Haley Cavinder currently possess valuation of $930,000, while Hanna Cavinder’s is $924,000. That’s good for the second and third spot in the women’s college basketball rankings.

Additionally, the Cavinders were able to find just as much success on the basketball court this season as they did off of it. Miami had a tremendous NCAA Tournament run, making it all the way to the Elite Eight before eventually falling to LSU, who went on to win the national title.

Haley started all 35 games for the Hurricanes, averaging 12.2 points and 4.9 points per game. Hanna came off the bench in each game this season for Miami, averaging 3.8 points.

Nevertheless, their legacy will always be associated with NIL and it’s place on college sports, as On3’s NIL expert Pete Nakos explained.

“I think when we look back in a few years, we’ll view NIL as the bridge that got us to revenue sharing and possibly a new NCAA structure. The Cavinders will always be associated with this time in college athletics,” stated Nakos. “They announced their first NIL deal in Times Square. And according to their agents, they’ve earned and have ownership values higher than any collegiate basketball player or WNBA player.

“How they continue to evolve post-basketball will be an interesting case study on how NIL can help athletes after graduation.”

What’s next for Haley and Hanna Cavinder

Moreover, one of those post-basketball opportunities that the Cavinder Twins are looking forward towards is a venture into the world of professional wrestling with the WWE. Perhaps we could see them challenging for the Women’s Tag Team titles in the future, as they elaborated on their love for the company they’ve partnered with in the past on The Today Show.

“We love the WWE. Their fanbase, their sport, the fitness side of it. That fits Hanna and I’s brain, and aligns great with us,” added Haley Cavinder. “So yeah, we’re very excited about the future with them.”

Additionally, the former Miami basketball stars have some other long-term deals on the table as well, adding that they just signed two long-term deals, one previously announced with Cacktus AI, and the other with an unnamed media company that they believe fit who they truly are as a brand.

“We have a lot of long-term deals too. We just signed two long-term deals, one with Cacktus AI, and another with a media company that fits who we truly are as a brand,” stated Hanna Cavinder. “Sports, business and health and fitness. So we’re super excited to announce those in the week.”

As you can see, the future is bright for the Cavinder Twins, even if it won’t be on the hardwood moving forward. They’re not planning on leaving the spotlight anytime soon, and whether it’s in the WWE, on TikTok or somewhere in-between, Haley and Hanna Cavinder are here to stay.