Haley and Hanna Cavinder have already achieved success on a level most people can only dream of. As college basketball players, they became poster children for the potential of NIL (name, image, likeness) for athletes, signing endorsement deals to capitalize on their 4.5 million followers on TikTok. They very nearly wrote a storybook ending to their hoops careers as well, helping the University of Miami to its first ever appearance in the Elite 8 of the Women’s NCAA Tournament last month.
The Cavinder twins are known to pro wrestling fans as well, having signed to WWE’s NIL program in December 2021. And while participation in that initiative comes with no obligations to pursue a career in the ring, it sounds like the Cavinders are seriously considering taking the plunge.
That became clear during their appearance on “The TODAY Show” this week, shortly after Haley and Hanna announced they would not be returning to Miami for their final year of basketball eligibility.
“We love WWE,” both twins told the show.
“Their fanbase, the sport, the fitness side of it,” Haley Cavinder said. “That fits Hanna and I’s brand and aligns great with us, and so they’re a great partner. And yeah we’re very excited about the future with them.”
NCAA women’s basketball stars @CavinderHaley and @CavinderHanna opened up to @LlamasNBC about their retirement from the sport and what’s next in their new chapter, including their deal with WWE: "I think it came down to just optimizing all the opportunities we have ahead of us." pic.twitter.com/QSmXozylkC
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) April 13, 2023
That doesn’t mean fans of the Cavinders should start watching for them to show up on Raw or SmackDown any time soon. To date, there hasn’t been a single WWE NIL signee who has even had a single match, though it’s also unclear how many of them are training regularly with the company. Given their inexperience with the craft of pro wrestling, it would likely take some time for the twins to acclimate even if they were to report to the WWE Performance Center tomorrow to focus on in-ring work, and they could need time in the company’s NXT developmental brand as well.
On the other hand, WWE has shown with Logan Paul that it’s not afraid to fast track performers with massive social media followings if they show they have the chops for wrestling. So while you shouldn’t count on the Cavinder twins appearing at WWE events in the near future, you might not want to completely bet against it either.