Haley Cavinder to transfer for 2024-25 season, Miami still '100%' on table

Haley Cavinder is preparing to re-enter the basketball world.

After making a very public decision to leave college basketball and forgo her remaining year of eligibility on the Today show next to her sister, Hanna, she is taking steps to return to the sport. Haley Cavinder officially entered the transfer portal on Friday and will take the next few months to explore her options.

According to her agent Jeff Hoffman of Everett Sports Management, the point guard would transfer for the 2024-25 season instead of rushing a decision in these next few weeks. The 2023-24 women’s basketball season begins next month.

“As a businesswoman, she’s excited to see what type of opportunities there might be in the portal,” Hoffman told On3 on Friday. “It comes from a foundation of she misses basketball more than anything in the world and as it approaches another season, even more so. She is going to hop in the portal. She’s 100% making her return to college basketball.”

The Cavinders Twins had been a force in the space since the jump of the NIL Era in July 2021. Before they announced their departure from college sports this spring, they had signed with brands like Raising Cane’s, Victoria’s Secret PINK and Champs Sports. 

Their time in South Beach included a run to the NCAA tournament, but it also came with controversy. When they left Fresno State and entered the transfer portal in spring 2022, they decided to continue playing college basketball at Miami. The duo continued to cash in on their NIL over the course of this academic year at Miami. The NCAA also came down with a recruiting violation on Miami in February regarding the Cavinders.

According to the NCAA, the twins had dinner with Miami booster John Ruiz during their recruitment process. Ruiz was not disassociated from the program, though. As one of the penalties, Miami coach Katie Meier sat out the first three games of the 2022-23 season. The twins were not sanctioned.

Despite that, “Miami is 100% on the table.” Hanna Cavinder averaged 12.2 points and 4.9 points per game, leading the Hurricanes to the Elite Eight.

As for the return to the NIL space, any decision made will be made with her twin. The two have more than five million social media followers.

“Yep, that’s their business,” Hoffman said. “Cavinder Twins LLC. I think it makes them even more interesting. As NIL continues to see more revenue and brands adopt that as part of their marketing and media mix. Haley can present opportunities and then on the truly professional entrepreneurial side, Hannah could do some things that Haley couldn’t do. Their business, they’re in a partnership together, so they’ll make decisions together on what brands they partner with or take equity in.”