Haley Cavinder

Haley Cavinder
Cavinder with Gilbert High School in 2017
No. 1 – Miami Hurricanes
PositionPoint guard
LeagueAtlantic Coast Conference
Personal information
Born (2001-01-13) January 13, 2001 (age 23)
South Bend, Indiana, U.S.
Listed height5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Career information
High schoolGilbert (Gilbert, Arizona)
College
Career highlights and awards
  • Mountain West Player of the Year (2021)
  • Second-team All-ACC (2023)
  • 3× All-Mountain West Team (2020–2022)
  • Mountain West Freshman of the Year (2020)
  • Mountain West All-Freshman Team (2020)

Haley Cavinder (born January 13, 2001) is an American social media personality and college basketball player for the Miami Hurricanes of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Prior to Miami, she played for the Fresno State Bulldogs. Cavinder was an All-Mountain West Conference (MW) selection in each of her three seasons at Fresno State, and was named MW Player of the Year in her sophomore season. As a junior, she set the NCAA Division I single-season free throw percentage record before transferring to Miami.

Cavinder and her fraternal twin and teammate, Hanna, have a large social media following and share a TikTok account with millions of followers. In the last two seasons of their basketball careers, they were leading figures in college sports endorsements, signing name, image and likeness (NIL) deals with several companies, including Boost Mobile and WWE, and co-founding the clothing company Baseline Team.

Early life

[edit]

Cavinder was born in South Bend, Indiana,[1] on January 13, 2001,[2] one minute before and one pound (454 g) heavier than her twin sister, Hanna, to parents, Katie and Tom Cavinder.[3] The family moved to the Phoenix area in the twins' early childhood.[3] She started playing basketball before preschool and watched drills on YouTube to improve her skills. Cavinder competed in boys leagues until sixth grade before playing against girls who were two to three years older than her.[4] She also played soccer and volleyball before focusing on basketball in middle school. She emulated her game after Skylar Diggins-Smith.[5]

High school career

[edit]

Cavinder played for Gilbert High School in Gilbert, Arizona, alongside Hanna, and another sister, Brandi, who was two years ahead of them in school. The Cavinder twins were drawn there by coach Kyle Pedersen, who had trained them since they were in sixth grade and was their coach with Arizona Elite Basketball Club. As a freshman at Gilbert, Cavinder assumed a leading role along with Hanna,[6] and helped the team reach the state quarterfinals.[7] In her junior season, Cavinder averaged 23 points, 9.2 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 3.9 steals per game,[8] leading Gilbert to the Class 6A state semifinals.[9] She earned most valuable player honors at the Nike Tournament of Champions, an annual high school competition.[10] As a senior, she averaged 21.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game, helping her team reach the Class 5A state title game. She was named Arizona 5A Player of the Year and finished with 2,282 career points.[1]

College career

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Fresno State

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On February 1, 2020, Cavinder scored 31 points, a Fresno State single-game freshman record, along with six assists and five steals, in an 84–78 win against New Mexico.[11] As a freshman, she averaged 15.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Cavinder recorded the most points (512) and rebounds (233) by a freshman in program history.[1] She was named Mountain West Freshman of the Year and to the All-Mountain West and All-Freshman Teams.[12]

Cavinder scored a sophomore season-high 30 points in a 78–70 win over Nevada on January 14, 2021.[13] As a sophomore, she averaged a conference-high 19.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.7 steals per game,[1] leading Fresno State to the second round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament.[14] Cavinder became the fastest Fresno State player to reach 1,000 career points.[15] She was named Mountain West Player of the Year, becoming the third sophomore to win the award.[16] She earned All-Mountain West honors for a second straight season.[1]

As a junior in 2021–22, Cavinder led the Bulldogs in scoring (19.8 per game), rebounding (9.4), and assists (5.8)[17] on her way to her third straight All-Mountain West selection.[18] She also had three triple-doubles, second in NCAA Division I to Iowa's Caitlin Clark and the most all-time by a Fresno State player.[19][20] Cavinder set a new Division I single-season record for free throw percentage, with 97.3%.[21]

Miami (Florida)

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Following the season, the Cavinder twins entered the NCAA transfer portal and eventually announced on April 21, 2022, that they would transfer to the University of Miami. Both twins had two years of remaining athletic eligibility at the time of their transfer, because the NCAA did not count the 2020–21 season, extensively disrupted by COVID-19, against the eligibility of any basketball player.[22][23]

On February 9, 2023, Cavinder scored a career-high 33 points, shooting 7-of-10 from three-point range, in an 86–82 win over 19th-ranked Florida State.[24] She was named second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference.[25] Cavinder helped Miami reach its first Elite Eight at the 2023 NCAA tournament. As a senior, she averaged 12.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.[26]

Shortly after the end of the 2022–23 season, the twins announced that they would end their college basketball careers, choosing not to take advantage of their extra year of eligibility.[27] Their agent later told TheStreet that they would begin professional wrestling training at the WWE Performance Center later that spring.[28]

TCU

[edit]

On October 13, 2023, Cavinder came out of retirement and entered the transfer portal, intending to play her fifth and final season in 2024–25 without Hanna.[29] One month later, she committed to TCU.[26]

Return to Miami (Florida)

[edit]

On April 24, 2024, Cavinder de-committed from TCU and opted to instead return to the University of Miami alongside her sister Hanna for the 2024–25 season.[30]

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game  FG%  Field goal percentage
 3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage  RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game
 SPG  Steals per game  BPG  Blocks per game  TO  Turnovers per game  PPG  Points per game
 Bold  Career high  *  Led Division I

College

[edit]
Haley Cavinder NCAA Statistics[31]
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2019–20 Fresno State 32 31 34.3 38.5 34.3 68.1 7.3 3.7 1.5 0.2 2.4 16.0
2020–21 Fresno State 28 27 36.6 42.6 32.8 84.6 7.5 3.8 1.7 0.5 2.5 19.8
2021–22 Fresno State 29 29 38.1 44.6 37.3 97.3* 9.4 5.7 1.5 0.1 2.9 19.8
2022–23 Miami 35 35 30.9 40.7 40.4 87.8 4.9 2.5 0.7 0.1 1.6 12.2
Career 124 122 34.8 41.6 35.9 85.9 7.2 3.8 1.3 0.2 2.3 16.7

Social media and endorsements

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Cavinder (foreground) and her twin sister Hanna (background) playing for Gilbert High School in 2018

Cavinder has established a large social media following with Hanna. In April 2020, while bored at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, she was persuaded by Hanna, who used TikTok, to make videos together on a shared account on the platform. The videos feature Cavinder and her sister performing synchronized dances, dribbling and lip syncing side-by-side.[32] By April 2022, the twins had four million followers on TikTok.[33]

The Cavinder twins have made national headlines for their success with college sports endorsements and are among the most prominent college athletes in the field.[32][34] On July 1, 2021, after the NCAA began allowing student-athletes to be compensated for the use of their name, image and likeness (NIL), the twins signed deals with Boost Mobile within minutes of it being permitted.[35] On December 8, 2021, they signed with professional wrestling promotion WWE as part of its new Next In Line program to develop college athletes into potential WWE wrestlers.[36] On January 18, 2022, the twins announced that they had co-founded the streetwear clothing startup Baseline Team. They were given 25 percent equity stake in the company and one of three seats on the board of directors.[37] The twins have also signed NIL deals with Champs Sports, Eastbay, Gopuff and SoFi, among other companies.[34][38] In July 2022, Forbes estimated that they had earned $1.7 million in endorsement deals.[39] By November 2022, they had over 40 deals, more than any other women's basketball players at any level. The twins also started a podcast, Twin Talk, in December 2022 on iHeartRadio that initially focuses on student-athletes' perspectives on NIL; the twins' first official guest was LSU gymnast and leading NIL figure Olivia Dunne.[3]

In early 2023, the twins were involved in the first known NCAA sanctions case related to NIL opportunities. On February 24, the Miami women's basketball program was placed on a year of probation and received other minor penalties; the twins received no direct sanctions. The NCAA found that the program and its head coach Katie Meier had violated NCAA rules by facilitating a meeting between the Cavinders and Miami-based businessman John Ruiz, a Miami alumnus and booster who has signed over 100 Hurricanes athletes in various sports to NIL deals, before they officially committed to transferring to the school.[40]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e "Haley Cavinder – Women's Basketball". Fresno State Athletics. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  2. ^ @hanna.cavinder and haleycavinder (January 13, 2001). "twenty TWO 🥳💞" – via Instagram.
  3. ^ a b c Philippou, Alexa (November 2, 2022). "Cavinder twins take on women's basketball, stereotypes and TikTok". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  4. ^ Bemis, Scott (February 21, 2021). "Bulldog Insider feature: Before they were Bulldogs (Haley and Hanna Cavinder)". KSEE. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  5. ^ Scott, Dana (January 11, 2019). "Gilbert twins Haley and Hanna Cavinder peak as the best tandem in 5A girls basketball". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  6. ^ Smith, Eric (January 10, 2016). "Three's a charm: Gilbert's Cavinder sisters help lead Tigers together". East Valley Tribune. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  7. ^ Skoda, Jason P. (January 9, 2017). "Gilbert hot start helped by chemistry, being good teammates". East Valley Tribune. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  8. ^ Mitchell, Josh (November 14, 2018). "'Dogs add five in 2019 signing class". Fresno State Athletics. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  9. ^ Newman, Eric (December 19, 2018). "Gilbert girls basketball hopes for state crown". East Valley Tribune. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  10. ^ Laflin, Shane (December 23, 2017). "2017 NIKE Tournament of Champions". Premier Basketball LLC. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
  11. ^ Mitchell, Josh (February 1, 2020). "Haley Cavinder's 31 points propels 'Dogs to 84-78 comeback at New Mexico". Fresno State Athletics. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  12. ^ King, Nick (April 11, 2020). "Gilbert's Cavinder twins enjoy breakout freshman season". KTVK. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  13. ^ Mitchell, Josh (January 14, 2021). "Haley Cavinder's 30-point effort propels 'Dogs to 78-70 win over Nevada". Fresno State Athletics. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  14. ^ Moore, Jackson (March 14, 2022). "Fresno State stars Haley, Hanna Cavinder enter transfer portal". Bark Board. 247Sports. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  15. ^ Mitchell, Josh (May 6, 2021). "Haley Cavinder selected to CoSIDA Academic All-District Team". Fresno State Athletics. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  16. ^ Mellon, Brianna (July 1, 2021). "Fresno State Women's Basketball stars Haley and Hanna Cavinder sign business deals after NCAA ruling". KFSN-TV. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  17. ^ "2021–2022 Fresno State Women's Basketball Overall Statistics". Fresno State Bulldogs. March 6, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  18. ^ "Mountain West Announces 2021-22 Women's Basketball All-Conference Team and Individual Awards" (Press release). Mountain West Conference. March 6, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  19. ^ "Division I Women's Basketball Statistics: Triple-Doubles". NCAA.com. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  20. ^ Mitchell, Josh (January 22, 2022). "'Dogs come up just short in The Pit". Fresno State Athletics. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  21. ^ Lopresti, Mike (March 9, 2022). "A quick guide to the weird, wild and intriguing storylines in women's hoops". NCAA.com. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  22. ^ Reynolds, Tim (April 21, 2022). "Basketball's Cavinder twins say they've transferred to Miami". Associated Press News. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  23. ^ "Cavinder Sisters Sign with Hurricanes" (Press release). Miami Hurricanes. April 21, 2022. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  24. ^ "Cavinder scores 33, Miami women beat No. 19 Florida State". ESPN. Associated Press. February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  25. ^ "Miami Duo Earns All-ACC Honors". University of Miami Athletics. February 28, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  26. ^ a b Philippou, Alexa (November 13, 2023). "Haley Cavinder to play final year of college basketball at TCU". ESPN. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  27. ^ Philippou, Alexa (April 11, 2023). "Cavinder twins won't return at Miami for fifth season". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  28. ^ Salad, Colin (April 17, 2023). "Cavinder Twins WWE Debut Closer After Agent Reveals Next Steps". TheStreet. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  29. ^ Rittenberg, Adam (October 13, 2023). "Miami's Haley Cavinder enters portal, to play in 2024-25". ESPN. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  30. ^ "Cavinders Return to Miami Women's Basketball". University of Miami Athletics. April 24, 2024. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  31. ^ "Haley Cavinder College Stats". Sports-Reference. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  32. ^ a b Karimi, Faith (July 11, 2021). "These twin sisters are college basketball stars and have 3 million TikTok followers. Now they're cashing in". CNN. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  33. ^ Lichtenstein, Adam (April 22, 2022). "Cavinder twins bring strong skills and millions of social-media followers to Miami women's basketball". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  34. ^ a b Harris, Craig (January 26, 2022). "The Cavinder twins, 'queens' of college sports endorsements, poised to make $1 million". USA Today. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  35. ^ Murphy, Dan (July 1, 2021). "Let's make a deal: NCAA athletes cashing in on name, image and likeness". ESPN. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  36. ^ Raimondi, Marc (December 8, 2021). "WWE signs 15 college athletes to NIL deals, eyes developmental pipeline". ESPN. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  37. ^ Dosh, Kristi (January 18, 2022). "Cavinder Twins Flex Their Muscles As Entrepreneurs With Their Latest NIL Deal". Forbes. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  38. ^ Kuwada, Robert (July 2, 2021). "Fresno State twins with huge TikTok following sign another endorsement deal". The Fresno Bee. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  39. ^ Knight, Brett (July 1, 2022). "Cavinder Twins, Stars On TikTok And Basketball Court, Are Nearing $2 Million In NIL Deals, With More Ahead". Forbes. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  40. ^ Murphy, Dan (February 24, 2023). "NCAA sanctions Miami women's hoops for NIL-related infraction". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
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