Miami's Haley Cavinder in portal, eyes 2024-25

Miami guard Haley Cavinder, who announced in April that she and twin sister Hanna would retire from basketball, entered the transfer portal Friday and intends to play during the 2024-25 season, Jeff Hoffman, the Cavinders’ agent from Everett Sports Marketing, told ESPN.

Haley Cavinder earned second-team All-ACC honors last year in helping Miami to its first Elite Eight appearance, averaging 12.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. She will return to the court in about a year and will consider remaining with Miami as well as exploring other schools, a source told ESPN.

The Cavinder twins, who gained popularity through their TikTok videos and became stars of the NIL movement in college athletics, said in April that they would forgo their final seasons of eligibility to pursue opportunities with WWE. They signed NIL deals with the wrestling promotion in 2021, one of several agreements that helped the twins become two of the top-earning college athletes in NIL. Haley will spend the next year training and joining Hanna for WWE and their other shared business ventures.

Hanna Cavinder, who averaged 3.8 points per game in a reserve role for Miami, is not joining her sister in future basketball pursuits. The twins, who grew up in Gilbert, Arizona, played together at Fresno State for three seasons before transferring to Miami.

Haley Cavinder told ESPN’s Alexa Philippou in April that she had anticipated returning to basketball for a fifth season but didn’t want to play without Hanna, who was ready to move on from the sport.

“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,” Haley Cavinder said at the time.