Tag: Haley Cavinder

Haley Cavinder unexpectedly de-committed from TCU to return to Miami alongside twin sister Hanna

Well, that escalated quickly.

In a sudden turn of events, Haley Cavinder will not be playing for TCU this season. She’s re-joining her sister, Hanna, in Miami. No, we are not joking.

If you’ve been following the story of the Cavinder twins, you might know that they retired from college basketball to pursue careers as influencers and then unretired to return to basketball. But their story took another unexpected twist on Thursday.

After Hanna Cavinder announced a return to Miami Hurricanes women’s basketball just a day ago, her twin sister, Haley — who originally announced that she was joining the TCU Horned Frogs in November — shared that she is NOT playing for TCU this season and will instead also return to Miami.

Here’s some of the rationale that Haley shared about her decision to team up with Hanna again:

“I’ve decided to return to the University of Miami and play with Hann for our final and fifth year. There is nothing more important than family and the bond I share with my twin sister. Being presented with the opportunity to play together one more time is something I cannot pass up.”

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Cavinder twins announce they are leaving Miami to start new chapter

“I don’t want to play basketball without Hanna,” Haley said in a joint interview via Zoom from the twins’ hometown of Gilbert, Arizona.

Hanna and Haley Cavinder made a name for themselves on social media before athletes could monetize their name, image, and likeness and it paid off, literally.

The Cavinder twins are some of the most recognized names in the collegiate landscape and made headlines even before transferring from Fresno State to the University of Miami. They have one of the highest NIL valuations of any athlete in college.

From their viral TikToks to their billboards in Times Square, these twins definitely have their finger on the pulse of how to build a brand in this era. They also happen to be pretty good at basketball and helped take the Hurricanes women’s basketball team to their first Elite Eight game in the 2023 NCAA tournament.

Now the twins have decided to step away from basketball and forgo their fifth year of eligibility, granted to athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. They announced the decision Tuesday on social media as if any other place would be more appropriate for these social media stars.

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“I don’t want to play basketball without Hanna,” Haley said in a joint interview via Zoom from the twins’ hometown of Gilbert, Arizona. “I started with her, so at the end of the day, I want to end basketball and start our new lives together, but it was definitely difficult for me.”

Some speculate the twins could be the next new faces of the WWE. The twins were two of 15 athletes signed by the WWE’s Next in Line program. This program aims to “to enhance the talent development process through collaborative partnerships with college athletes from diverse athletic backgrounds.”

Only the twins know their next move, but it should be exciting to watch their journey as they transition from basketball players to full-time entrepreneurs.

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Haley Cavinder, Angel Reese want Lil Wayne to come to the Miami vs. LSU March Madness game

Your move, Weezy.

We know Lil Wayne is a football fan, but he’s apparently really into women’s college basketball too.

The ultra-famous rapper from New Orleans was tuned into Friday’s Sweet 16 games in Greenville, S.C., where No. 9 Miami upset No. 4 Villanova, and No. 3 LSU squeaked out a narrow win over No. 2 Utah while Tigers’ coach Kim Mulkey wore an outfit that ruffled some feathers.

For Miami, the win paves the way for the Hurricanes to play in the Elite Eight for the first time ever. And LSU is back in the regional final for the first time since 2008.

And Weezy took time to congratulate both teams. First, he called up NIL TikTok stars and Miami guards Haley and Hanna Cavinder on FaceTime. And then he sent out a congratulatory tweet aimed at LSU’s Angel Reese after she notched her 31st double-double of the season.

However, Reese wasn’t thrilled that Weezy showed his fandom for Miami.

“I’m on him because he’s from NOLA and he called them before he called us,” Reese said during Saturday morning’s press conference. “Hopefully he comes to the game … Lil Tunechi, you better come pull up tomorrow.”

The Hurricanes and Tigers face off for the chance to go to the Final Four on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET.

Miami’s Haley Cavinder publicly extended the invitation to Weezy too.

“I think he likes women’s basketball and that’s a win for women’s basketball,” Cavinder said. “Hopefully he comes to the game if he likes Angel Reese and our team. Lil Wayne, if you see this, come to the game.”

If Weezy does show up to Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Sunday night, Mulkey, a fellow native of Louisiana, expects the rapper to be rooting for the Tigers.

“I don’t know the connection to Miami other than it’s a pretty big rap scene there. Maybe that’s what it is,” Mulkey said. “I don’t know him well enough to speak for him, but he’s Louisiana, as far as I know. I don’t think that we have to worry about Lil Wayne.”

Notre Dame Women’s Basketball: Gilbert Named Rookie of the Week

Katlyn Gilbert’s terrific freshman season has given Notre Dame hope in what’s been a rare dreary season for the program. Everyone can see the potential even clearer after Gilbert was named the ACC Rookie of the Week on Monday. In wins against Wake …

Katlyn Gilbert’s terrific freshman season has given Notre Dame hope in what’s been a rare dreary season for the program. Everyone can see the potential even clearer after Gilbert was named the ACC Rookie of the Week on Monday.

In wins against Wake Forest and Pittsburgh, Gilbert averaged 14.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 38.7 percent from the field. With 12 points against the Demon Deacons and 17 against the Panthers, she has a team-high 21 games in which she’s scored in double figures.

Of course, Gilbert isn’t the only freshman making an impact for the Irish. She and Sam Brunelle are the top scoring first-year players in the conference with averages of 13.9 and 13.6 points a game, respectively. Throughout the country, only Fresno State’s Haley and Hanna Cavinder can join them as freshman teammates who have scoring averages of at least 13.5 points a game.

If the season ended today, Gilbert’s scoring average would rank fourth all-time for Notre Dame freshmen.