Haley Cavinder and her twin sister Hanna retired from basketball after leading Miami to the Elite Eight in 2023. But now Haley is set to return in 2024.

Cavinder entered the transfer portal in October with the intention of playing the 2024-25 season, her agent Jeff Hoffman told ESPN. And on Monday, she posted photos of herself in a TCU uniform. “The last rodeo #committed,” her caption read.

As a starting guard for Miami, Cavinder averaged 12.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game last season. She earned second-team All-ACC honors and helped the Hurricanes to their first appearance in the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament.

TCU brought in former Oregon star Sedona Prince for the 2023-24 season. And now the Horned Frogs will bring in Cavinder for her final year of eligibility. Both Prince and Cavinder have an extra year of eligibility available due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Haley Cavinder’s NCAA career is not over.

Cavinder had previously announced that she and her twin sister Hanna would retire from college basketball after spending last season with Miami. But on Friday, Cavinder entered the transfer portal, with the intent to return to the court for the 2024-25 season, her agent Jeff Hoffman told ESPN.

“See you next season,” Cavinder wrote on Instagram.

Cavinder, a guard, averaged 12.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game last season, earning second-team All-ACC honors and leading the Hurricanes to their first appearance in the Elite Eight.

The Cavinder twins have a massive social media following, and together, they became stars of the first NIL wave in college athletics. In 2021, they signed NIL deals with WWE, and in April they announced they would forgo their final seasons of college eligibility to pursue opportunities with the sports entertainment company.

“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,” Cavinder said at the time.

Cavinder will spend the next year training with her sister for WWE, according to ESPN, and then work toward one final season of college basketball.

The Cavinder twins transferred to Miami for last season after playing together at Fresno State for three seasons. On their joint TikTok account they have 4.5 million followers.

The Cavinder twins are “disappointed and disgusted” with a recently published article about their NIL deals, Hanna Cavinder wrote in a statement posted to her Twitter account.

The publisher reached out to the former Miami basketball players under “a false pretense” and perpetuated “a blatant sexist trope” in the profile, Cavinder said.

Hanna and Haley Cavinder, who made their names known on social media and took full advantage of the NCAA’s name, image and likeness policy, agreed to an interview for an article that “would be written about life after NIL, why we didn’t take our fifth year, our passions, and business opportunities,” Hanna Cavinder wrote.

Both twins played at Miami in the 2022-23 season after transferring from Fresno State, helping the team to an Elite Eight run – which included an upset of No. 1 seed Indiana. Haley Cavinder started for the Hurricanes, averaging a team-leading 12.2 points per game.

After the season, they opted to forego their fifth year of eligibility to pursue their careers outside basketball. They have been exploring the possibility of joining WWE, but there is no timeline for a decision, The Athletic reported last week.

The Free Press, a Bari Weiss-led publication, pitched the profile to the Cavinders as “a very important story not only in the context of women’s college sports but new media culture and business,” Hanna Cavinder wrote.

Instead, the article — titled “The NCAA Has a ‘Hot Girl’ Problem” — describes the twins as “not really two separate human beings as much as a single, self-contained brand with 6.4 million followers across all platforms.”

“Thing is, the athletes now profiting are not necessarily the ones with the most athletic prowess,” the article continues. “Or at least that’s the case when it comes to female athletes.”

The Cavinders took issue with the profile for its reductive presentation.

“The subsequent article not only demeaned our athletic and business accomplishments it furthered the narrative that hard working, creative and driven women can only do well if they are deemed attractive,” Hanna Cavinder wrote. “The piece disregards our work ethic and dedication towards NIL and business endeavors.

“Instead, he degrades us down to ‘hot girl(s).’ … We are both disappointed and disgusted by this journalism practice and blatant sexist trope. We only wish to inspire young woman to chase their dreams, work hard, think big. Now we must also defend them against men that wish to sum their potential to physical appearance.”

Haley Cavinder sprinted toward the Miami bench, her hands in the air, balled into celebratory fists. From the sidelines, Hanna Cavinder worked her way to Haley, arms outstretched, ready to embrace her twin sister.

At halfcourt, the two collided into an airborne hug, sharing a moment before continuing the chaotic celebrations with their teammates.

“Hanna is always the first person I’m going to run to,” Haley says.

No. 9 Miami had just knocked off No. 1 Indiana at Assembly Hall, 70-68 on a last-minute shot, leaving the Hoosiers faithful confused and dejected in the stands. For Haley and Hanna, this was the moment they’d been waiting for. To play spoiler in a tournament they’d watched together as little girls, to help the Hurricanes advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 31 years — that’s why they’d come to Miami.

“It’s hard to put into words,” Haley says, then pauses to self-reflect. “I know that’s corny, but this is why we came here, this is why we chose to transfer, chose to put ourselves in uncomfortable situations.”

Things were comfortable for the twins at Fresno State, where they played for three seasons before transferring to Miami. When they entered their names in the transfer portal last March, and eventually picked the sunny beaches of Miami to call home, there was an assumption that the twins made their decision for better NIL benefits.

They won’t deny that Miami has better business opportunities, but that was just a bonus. The Cavinder twins weren’t hurting for sponsorship dollars at Fresno State, either. They were already the national leaders in NIL deals, worth nearly $1 million when they entered the transfer portal.

When you Google their names, Haley and Hanna have an assigned Internet label: media personalities.

It’s undeniable that the twins are making waves as influencers, taking full advantage of the NCAA’s nearly two-year-old Name, Image and Likeness era. With over 560,000 followers each on Instagram and 4.5 million followers on their shared TikTok account, the Cavinders lead the NCAA Women’s Tournament field this year in NIL value at $835,000 each, according to On3. Next on the leaderboard is LSU freshman Flau’jae Johnson, with a valuation of $654,000.

But, first and foremost, Haley and Hanna consider themselves basketball players. Transferring, therefore, was a basketball decision.  And in just one year, the move is paying off.

The Cavinders dominated in the Mountain West conference, with Haley averaging 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game in her last season at Fresno State. She set an NCAA record in 2021-22 by shooting 97 percent from the free-throw line and was named to the All-Mountain West Team. Hanna had similar success that season, averaging 14.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.8 steals per game.

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The Cavinders starred at Fresno State before transferring to Miami in 2022 for their senior seasons. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

Together, they started every game and played upwards of 37 minutes per contest. But with all of their success, one thing still eluded the Cavinders: the NCAA Tournament. By opting to transfer, they opened themselves up to new challenges and possibilities, but one thing had to stay the same.

Hanna and Haley are a package deal.

“We’ve always played the sport together,” Hanna says. “That’s why I love basketball, is playing with Haley.”

That makes everything worth it for the twins, even if they are playing different roles at Miami than they did at Fresno State. Hanna, in particular, has had to adjust. With the Hurricanes, the senior comes off the bench in a sixth woman role, with her court time hovering around 17 minutes per game. In Miami’s win over Indiana on Monday night, Haley had nine points and eight rebounds in 37 minutes, while Hanna got in for 19 minutes.

It’s something Hanna was prepared for when the twins decided to leave Fresno State.

“I knew I was going to have a different role,” Hanna says. “We play the same position and I’m not the most physical player, so I knew I would have to prove myself. I accepted the role that I have. I’m a competitor. I want to help my team win, so whatever position I’m in, I’m going to stay ready.”

Hanna and Haley are talented and fiercely competitive, but they also recognize that Power 5 basketball is different from mid-major basketball. There aren’t many 5-foot-6 guards playing at the top Division I level, and having two undersized players on the court at the same time is a challenge.

But when they do get to be on the court together, the twins embrace every second of it.

“I’ll never take that for granted,” Hanna says. “Playing with your twin sister is obviously a unique situation, so whenever we get on the court together, we try to optimize it as best we can.”

This season, Haley is averaging 12.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists in her starting role. Hanna puts up 3.9 points, 1.7 assists and 1.4 rebounds coming off the bench. It’s a point that critics like to latch onto, and one that Haley is quick to shut down.

“If someone says something about Hanna’s (stat line), it’s like, ‘Do you even know the game of basketball?’ It’s not all about points. It’s about what she does for her team when she gets on the court,” Haley says.

Being in the influencer space means Hanna and Haley’s lives are often the subject of conversation and criticism. People assume that if the twins post a TikTok, they are taking time away from the gym, or that when they post a swimsuit photo on the beach, they aren’t taking basketball seriously enough.

It’s a misconception the two have learned to live with, but that doesn’t mean they like it — for themselves, or for other athletes and influencers. Hanna and Haley post on social media every day, giving people a glimpse into their lives, but what they show is actually a small percentage.

“With love, there comes hate,” Haley says. “I’m a firm believer that you shouldn’t judge someone based on their social media. I’m proud of what I put on my social media, but I wish people would understand, not to make someone one-dimensional. You can be a basketball player and an influencer.”

It frustrates the twins to feel like they are being put in a box, but leaning on each other helps lessen the effects. They craft much of their public image around being twins. They feel it makes them marketable.

But Hanna and Haley don’t spend time together only because it’s good for the brand.

The Cavinders have always been close, even if they had their share of fights growing up.

Once, when they were juniors in high school, Hanna threw a Gatorade bottle at Haley. They can’t remember all the details of the fight but know it was over boyfriends, something they laugh about now. Another time, they went a week without talking.

Now, Haley and Hanna have learned to recognize when they need space. They are always together online, but solitude is an important part of their real lives.

Hanna and Haley also balance each other out. Haley is more deliberate, choosing to think things through and living at a more laid-back pace. Hanna is more direct and outgoing. Sometimes, after practice, when Haley is ready to take a break and relax, it’s Hanna that motivates her to keep on top of their jam-packed schedule. Because of her “go, go, go,” attitude, Haley affectionately calls Hanna her “twin-ager.”

The very public position the twins are in — the NIL deals, the fanbase, the Sweet 16 — wouldn’t be possible without each other. Eventually, Haley and Hanna know they will have to put some separation in their relationship. That could come as soon as next season, with Haley committed to playing a fifth year and Hanna still contemplating her options.

“It’s hard for me,” Haley admits. “I want Hanna to play, I want her to come back, but I also want her to be her happiest.”

Even if they aren’t together on the court or walking the campus of Miami, Hanna says they will always live in the same state.

For now, they are embracing every moment together. That includes Miami’s Sweet 16 matchup against Naismith Player of the Year finalist Maddy Siegrist and No. 4 Villanova on Friday, with a chance to continue their magical NCAA Tournament run.

As they get older, Hanna and Haley know things will change even more, but no amount of change can lessen their bond.

“There is going to be a time where we get married and have families and stuff — I’m still gonna be on the phone with her all the time,” Haley says, as the two share a laugh.

Eden Laase is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @eden_laase.

Miami may hold a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but twin guards Haley and Hanna Cavinder lead the field in NIL value.

The Hurricanes players each have an NIL value of $835,000, according to rankings released by On3. The company calculates athletes’ NIL valuations based on its analysis of the their on-court performance and their wider influence and exposure.

LSU’s star rapper and hooper Flau’jae Johnson sits third with a valuation of $654,000. Her teammate Angel Reese is in fifth, with a valuation of $371,000.

The Cavinder twins are boosted by their massive social media following, including TikTok, while Haley led the Hurricanes with 12.6 points per game en route to the No. 9 seed and a first-round matchup with No. 8 seed Oklahoma State.

Other players get more of a boost from their on-court presence, including Louisville’s Hailey Van Lith, who sits in fourth ($480,000).

UNC’s Deja Kelly, Stanford’s Cameron Brink, UConn’s Azzi Fudd, South Carolina’s Zia Cooke and Iowa’s Caitlin Clark help to round out the top 10. But Aliyah Boston, one of the best players in the country, does not feature on the list.

It was Haley Cavinder’s night as Fresno State took down Utah Valley 71-62 behind the junior guard’s first-career triple-double.

Cavinder had 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the win.

Cavinder became just the second player in Fresno State women’s basketball history to record a triple-double after center Bego Faz Davalos notched the first two in program history from 2015-17. Cavinder’s, however, is the first triple-double that includes assists.

The Bulldogs are back in action on Saturday against BYU.