Leaf releases March Madness trading cards with Cavinder twins

The Cavinder twins are making the most of their March Madness moment.

Thanks to a partnership with Leaf, Miami women’s basketball players Hanna and Haley Cavinder have released special edition trading cards. The Fresno State transfers made the move to South Beach this past offseason for a shot to make the NCAA Tournament. The jump also didn’t hurt their NIL opportunities, either.

Miami is now set to make its first appearance in the Sweet 16 since 1992 after knocking off No. 1 seed Indiana in the second round earlier this week. Haley had nine points and eight rebounds in the win, while Hanna contributed three points and three rebounds off the bench.

Their deal with Leaf was previously negotiated but the two parties opted to wait until March to release the cards. Everett Sports Management facilitated the deal. Attorney Darren Heitner also assisted in the partnership.

Because of NIL, the twins will profit off the cards.

“Leaf Trading Cards is beyond excited about working with the top two female NIL athletes in Haley and Hanna Cavinder,” Leaf’s CJ Breen told On3 in a statement. “We have been saving this announcement for March Madness. The twins have not disappointed with their star-studded performances, ultimately lifting their team to the Sweet 16. As a company we are committed to the NIL space by working with the best of the best talent.”

Leaf has emerged as a popular trading card company for athletes in NIL. Livvy Dunne released the “first gymnastics NIL trading card the world has ever seen” with the company back in December. The company has also been aggressive in college football, working with Tennessee quarterback signee Nico Iamaleava and USC Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams.

Growing list of NIL deals

The twins have turned into NIL stars in the first 20 months of college athletics’ new era, signing notable deals with Intuit TurboTax, Raising Cane’s and Under Armour in 2023.

They also inked an agreement with Caktus AI earlier this week. The artificial intelligence company caused a stir earlier this month when it signed LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne to a deal. Ethics questions surrounding the use of AI in an educational environment popped up following Dunne’s TikTok; she is the most followed college athlete on social media. LSU even released a statement warning the tool could result in academic misconduct.

Despite the pushback on Dunne’s deal, the twins moved forward with the partnership. Jeff Hoffman, who serves as the Cavinders’ main agent, said the promotional content does not highlight one specific capability. The video instead shows off what the tool can do, from essay writing to a paragraph generator and cover letter writer. There is also a math and science section and a citation creator.

Cavinder twins’ major brand

Heading into the NCAA Tournament, Hanna and Haley were already two of the most recognizable college athletes. Miami’s run has only elevated their marketability, though.

Hanna and Haley’s On3 NIL Valuations each sit at $851,000, which is a more than $15,000 jump in the last week. The twins sit at No. 33 and No. 33, respectively, in the On3 NIL 100. The rankings are the first of its kind and a de facto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation.

The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets the standard market NIL value for high school and college athletes. A proprietary algorithm, the On3 NIL Valuation calculates an athlete’s NIL value using dynamic data points targeting three primary categories: performance, influence and exposure.

About On3 NIL Valuation, Brand Value, Roster Value

While the algorithm includes deal data, it does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals athletes have completed to date, nor does it set an athlete’s NIL valuation for their entire career.

The On3 NIL Valuation accounts for an athlete’s roster value and brand value. Roster value is the value an athlete has by being a member of his or her team at his or her school, which factors into the role of NIL collectives. Brand value factors in an athlete’s personal brand and the value it could bring to regional and national brands outside of the scope of NIL collectives.

The On3 NIL Valuation is publicly available. Performance, Influence, and Exposure ratings along with the athlete’s personal Brand Value Index and Roster Value Index are available only to the athlete in the “Athlete Verified” private dashboard on the On3 Athlete Network.