With the excitement that the crop of WNBA rookies brought college basketball and pro hoops, the Cavinder twins see an opportunity to get back on the court and throw a wrench in the plans of players such as Flau’Jae Johnson, Juju Watkins, Paige Bueckers and Hailey Van Lithe to corner the NIL market and have the women’s college basketball scene all to themselves.
— Hurricanes Women’s Basketball (@CanesWBB) April 18, 2024
Hanna and Haley Cavinder Both Have One Year Of Eligibility
After a year-long hiatus, identical twins Hanna and Haley are back balling for The U again, having preserved their eligibility despite stepping away from the game due to the waiver put in place because of COVID-19.
Some on social media have questioned how they still have eligibility and are insinuating that the soon-to-be 24-year-olds shouldn’t be playing college ball. The sisters posted a TikTok video on Tuesday to show that they are not bothered by the criticism and will take what they are calling a “College Victory Lap.”
The sisters celebrated their return to college hoops by rocking the Miami Hurricanes’ signature white jersey and shorts highlighted by green and orange details and “Canes” written on the front.
The Cavinder twins may see an opportunity to boost their brands as participants on the court this college season. Or maybe they genuinely want to have one last ride where they are focused on the sport that helped them transcend into revenue-generating celebrities and sex symbols. At the height of their popularity off the court, Haley decided to enter the transfer portal in October of 2023, putting the twins’ professional ambitions on hold. She initially committed to TCU but reversed her decision when Hanna decided to pick up the rock again as well.
They decided to try and help Miami win a national title, while creating another centerpiece and built-in fan base to help elevate the excitement and interest around this college basketball season, forcing the clear-cut elite players in the country to share the spotlight with two 24-year-old crossover, corporate, TikTok sensations. Teen idols.
As hoopers, neither can be considered elite. Haley averaged 12.2 points and 4.9 rebounds for the Canes in her last season, with Hanna adding 3.8 points a game. So, they are more Anna Kournikova than Venus and Serena in that regard. But like the former tennis star turned celebrity sex symbol, the Cavinder twins do have some game, and that’s more than enough for their legion of fans.
Who Are The Cavinder Twins?
When the NCAA officially began allowing student-athletes to build brands and get paid by selling the rights to their name, image, and likeness (NIL) in July of 2021, the two sisters were rising basketball stars at the forefront of the movement. Twin sisters Haley and Hanna Cavinder — who played for Fresno State and the University of Miami — were among the leaders in acquiring college sports endorsements, signing NIL deals with 31 companies, including Boost Mobile and WWE, as their social media following exploded into the millions.
The twins have more than 4.5 million followers on TikTok and more than 332,000 followers on their shared Instagram account. They also have large followings on their individual Instagram profiles: Haley has 874,000 followers and Hanna has 843,000 followers.
In July 2022, Forbes reported that the Cavinder twins’ had earned at least $2 million since the NCAA changed its NIL policy. While in college, the duo signed deals with Six Star Pro Nutrition, Grammarly, Champs Sports, Gopuff, Under Armour, Crocs, and Victoria’s Secret PINK to name a few.
Cavinder Twins Co-Founders Of Baseline Team, Company Selling Basketball Shorts
They made quite a killing in that year-long hiatus, emerging as entrepreneurs, having co-founded a streetwear clothing company called Baseline Team with Fresno State alums David Vartanian and Mehdi Brahim.
The brand’s main focus is basketball shorts, something they know a lot about.
After helping Miami reach an Elite Eight appearance in 2023, the sisters made a shocking decision to retire. NIL’s money was solid, but there were still guidelines in place that limited their ability to maximize the avalanche of lucrative opportunities away from the court. A venture into the WWE was the next expected step, according to reports. On3Sports ranks the Cavinders as the fourth- and fifth-highest earners in women’s college sports. Haley Cavinder ranks third ($889,000) and Hanna fifth ($863,000) as the only women on Miami’s Top 10 NIL-Earning Athletes list.
While Johnson and Bueckers already have NIL valuations of $1.5 million and $1.4 million respectively, Watkins is currently sixth on the NCAA women’s NIL list with $576,000. However, the figure is expected to clear $1 million as major deals with Nike and Gatorade haven’t been reflected in her portfolio yet. After Caitlin Clark and Bueckers became ambassadors for sports drinks, Watkins also joined the elite list.
Cavinder Twins Face Criticism For White Privilege Boosting Their Brand
The Cavinder Twins together are a branding force of nature that few can equal and have been accused of the same racial advantages and brand boosts that Las Vegas Aces MVP A’ja Wilson accused Clark and her own white teammate Kelsey Plum of enjoying.
In the past, Black athletes and educators have been critical of how this privilege influences the way NIL money is spent.
Victoria Jackson, a former professional runner, told The Free Press that she thinks that the Cavinder twins are being showered with cash due to their “sexiness and attractiveness,” which is “unfair” to other women athletes who are more competent in their sports.
Sound familiar?
“If you look at the NIL girls, the first ones who were getting deals were the blond girls,” sports historian Louis Moore told The Free Press, referencing the Cavinder twins for their “very blond, girl-next-door looks.”
The Cavinder twins have made millions off the court and are now returning at age 24 for their final women’s basketball season at Miami and calling it a “College Victory Lap.” (Photo: Cavinder Twins/IG)
The Twins have acknowledged their position of privilege but definitely won’t apologize for the come-up or the hard work it took to get to this point. Regardless, their presence and popularity doesn’t detract from the greatness and marketability of other rising stars.
Cavinder Twins Might Steal Shine From Other Women’s College Hoops Stars
Flau’jae Johnson is rising in fame as a multi-talented rapper signed to Roc Nation and LSU All-American candidate. Her NIL bag is swelling, as the 20-year-old has already enjoyed deals with Powerade, a six-figure deal with Puma, Amazon, Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys, Experian, Intuit TurboTax, JBL Audio, Tampax, Uninterrupted, Campus Ink, Meta, and LG Electronics, with additional partnerships with Papa John’s, Doritos and Taco Bell.
Paige Bueckers is considered the No. 1 overall pick, and with 5.1 million social media followers, she trails on the Cavinder twins when it comes to having the largest social media imprint. She also has deals with Stock X, Taco Bell, BOSE, Gatorade, Madison Reed and Nike. Bueckers has been accused of rising to this level of marketability because of white privilege, but her coach Geno Auriemma felt she was a better player than Caitlin Clark last season.
UConn’s Paige Bueckers is signing an NIL deal with the new women’s basketball league Unrivaled that makes her the first NCAA athlete to receive ownership equity in a league. Bueckers is expected to play in Unrivaled, along with the WNBA, after her college career is over. pic.twitter.com/NkPImheHig
According to the latest news on Tuesday, Watkins inked an agreement with NYX Professional Makeup, which aims to empower female athletes with a brand tagline of “Make Them Look.”
The 19-year-old is also an emerging beauty who checks all of the boxes for maximum brand visibility.
JuJu is just a sophomore and recently signed a historic multi-year deal with Nike, which is reported as being one of the richest shoe endorsement deals in women’s basketball history. Watkins became the all-time leading scorer among freshmen in NCAA Division-1 women’s basketball history, scoring 920.
USC’s JuJu Watkins has signed a multiyear contract extension with Nike that will give her “one of the richest shoe endorsement deals in women’s basketball,” per @ShamsCharania 😳🤑 pic.twitter.com/nXIGWNANft
She currently has NIL deals with Nike, Lids, Cash App, Wells Fargo, Taco Bell, Celsius, Dove, Poppi, Morgan & Morgan, RITZ crackers, NerdWallet, Spotify, Estee Lauder, Instagram, Cactus Jack. Her impressive Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal ranks 12th in the On3 rankings.
Cavinder Twins Bring More Eyes, Conversation To College Hoops: In A Marketing Class Of Their Own
However, the return of the Cavinders and their loyal legion of social media fans, who are addicted to a brand that has nothing to do with the twins’ basketball exploits will be another interesting addition to what’s sure to be the most watched season in women’s college basketball history.
Their presence has already caused some criticism, and the attention they get will surely ruffle some feathers, leading to race debates on X and the disruption of a few bags here and there.
