Fresno State women’s basketball players Haley and Hanna Cavinder announced Thursday they will be transferring to Miami.
The Cavinder twins broke the news via an Instagram post, each wearing Hurricanes jerseys, with the caption, “WHAT’S UP MIAMI #committed.”
“When we got on campus, there was just a vibe and a feeling you get when you know it is the right decision,” Haley said. “I just think with coach Katie [Meier] and the leader she is and what she has done with the program, there is something that we were so attracted to, and I think we knew when leaving Miami that we wanted to come back.”
The twins boast impressive careers at Fresno State as they both made the All-Mountain West team as freshmen. Last season, Haley led the Bulldogs with 19.8 points per game and a team-high of 166 assists. She was also the top rebounder at 9.4 rebounds per game.
Hanna, meanwhile, trailed right behind her, averaging 14.6 points per game. In each of her seasons at Fresno State, she had more than 100 assists and 50 steals.
“Coming into the offseason losing four impactful players, we felt like we had specific needs and Haley and Hanna absolutely helped us meet several of them. They are huge pieces for our program,” Miami coach Katie Meier said. “I think both Haley and Hanna are ultra-competitive gym rats and they repeatedly told me how badly they want to win and win big. We were looking for people to help us make deeper runs in March so it was a perfect fit.”
In addition to being fierce players on the basketball court, the sisters built a massive following on several social media platforms during the pandemic. They have 400,000 Instagram followers each and 4 million followers on their joint TikTok account.
Haley and Hanna are also among the main faces at the forefront of the NIL program for college athletes. They have endorsement partnerships with companies such as Boost Mobile, Eastbay, Champs Six Star Nutrition, PSD Underwear, Celestial Seasonings Tea, the WWE and more.
Transferring to a school like Miami in a city full of opportunities will definitely be beneficial for the Cavinder twins; however, this did not impact their decision to come to UM.
“When we got on campus there was just a vibe and a feeling you get when you know it is the right decision,” Haley said.
The Cavinder twins are eager to get back on the court and make their debuts in their new Miami Hurricanes uniforms next season. Four seniors will leave UM this offseason due to graduation.
“You can tell the type of culture that was built [at Miami] through Coach Katie,” Hanna said. “The girls were amazing and so awesome. The staff was so personable and that is what we loved. Our parents came with us and they absolutely loved Miami, as well. We can’t wait to join the team and be a part of it.”
Added Haley, “Being able to share this dream with Hanna and being able to go to Miami together is amazing,” Haley said. “I’m just excited to get there and get to work.”