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Tyler Lauletta
- Haley and Hanna Cavinder are two of the biggest stars in college athletics.
- Both basketball players at Miami, the twin sisters also have a massive social media following.
- Between their talent on the court and their influence online, the Cavinders are big players in the emerging NIL market.
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Haley and Hanna Cavinder are two of the biggest stars in college basketball.
Haley and Hanna Cavinder are star players at the University of Miami, leading the Hurricanes to the Sweet 16 for just the second time in school history.
They also sport a massive social media following, with a TikTok account that has 4.5 million followers, making them two of the most high-profile athletes in all of college sports.
Take a look at their journey from high school greatness to March Madness and more.
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The fraternal twins play for Miami, and are currently on a run to the Sweet 16.
Miami's run to the Sweet 16 came with a win over No. 1 Indiana in the second round, a massive upset for the Hurricanes.
Haley hit two game-sealing free throws with just seconds left on the clock to stun the Hoosier faithful.
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The Cavinders were born in South Bend, Indiana.
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Haley was born just one minute before Hanna, making her the "older" sister.
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Early in their childhood, the Cavinder family moved to Arizona, where their basketball journey would begin.
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As freshmen in high school, the Cavinders helped their team reach the state quarterfinals.
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Haley Cavinder finished her high school career with an impressive 2,282 career points.
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The twins stayed together for college, heading off to Fresno State in 2019.
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In three seasons with the Bulldogs, Haley was named to the All-Mountain West Team three times.
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Ahead of their senior year, the twins transferred to Miami, and have reached another level of celebrity in the process.
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Haley leads the Hurricanes in scoring through the season, while Hanna is a solid contributor off the bench.
When the twins jumped from Fresno State to Miami, it meant that Hanna would likely take a bit of a cut in playing time, but she was ready to take on the challenge.
"I knew I was going to have a different role," Hanna told Just Women's Sports. "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."
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No. 9 Miami reached the Sweet 16 of March Madness 2023 with the help of a few clutch free throws from Haley against No. 1 Indiana.
—espnW (@espnW) March 21, 2023
Haley had set a single-season record for free throw percentage in 2022 with Fresno State, hitting 97.3% from the stripe.
She was also the leading free throw shooter for Miami this season. Even as a hostile crowd chanted "TikTok" in an attempt to shake her, Haley's shot was true.
After draining both free throws, Haley shushed the crowd, bringing a single finger to her lips.
"When Haley went to the line, I was like, 'It's a sealed deal,'" Hanna told ESPN. "Haley's made for that."
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But the Cavinder twins might be more famous off the court than they are on it.
@cavindertwins still got our dancing shoes on 💃🏼 #fyp #basketball #twins ♬ DC tsompathegoat - tsompathegoat
Together, they run a TikTok account that has 4.5 million followers.
@cavindertwins we love our half court shots 😎 #foryou #basketball #twins ♬ FEDS REMIX - Elhombreleafy
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The sisters also have more than 500,000 followers on Instagram.
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The Cavinders' careers as influencers got a jump-start during the pandemic.
@cavindertwins TOOSIE SLIDE🔥 #toosiebballchallenge #hooper #basketball #twins ♬ Toosie Slide - Drake
When the world went into lockdown during the pandemic, the Cavinder twins, like many bored Americans, started spending more time on TikTok.
Between their dance moves and their basketball skills, they gained a following that reached far beyond fans of women's college basketball.
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The twins started posting videos of themselves dancing, lip-syncing, and showing off their basketball skills.
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Their huge following on social media has made them titans of the Name, Image, and Likeness era of college athletics.
@cavindertwins The secret to getting perfect grades? @grammarlyofficial 😉Download today via link in our bio! #Grammarly #WriteYourFuture #BackToSchool #ad ♬ original sound - Hanna & Haley Cavinder
According to On3, a site that offers valuations of college athletes potential NIL markets, the Cavinders are the two most valuable women in college basketball, and rank behind only Drew Timme of Gonzaga in terms of value on the men's side.
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The twins have deals in place with brands including Boost Mobile, WWE, and Champs Sports.
The Cavinders visited Nashville, Tennessee as guests of WWE to take in SummerSlam in 2022, and have an NIL deal with the company. Could professional wrestling possibly be in their future? They would make quite a tag team.
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The duo also hosts their own podcast, "Twin Talk," where they interview other athletes and social media stars.
On "Twin Talk," the Cavinders have interviewed several other athletes that have massive social media followings, including LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne, WWE superstar Liv Morgan, and Duke recruit Jared McCain.
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While they are currently seniors, the Cavinders still have a year of eligibility left.
The pandemic gave many student-athletes an extra year of eligibility due to the 2020 season being cut short.
The Cavinders could come back for another season at Miami if they choose.
Regardless of what the Cavinders decide to do next year, chances are you'll be seeing more of them soon.
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