Cavinder twins returning to Miami for final season; Hailey Van Lith to TCU

Women’s College Basketball

Published Apr. 18, 2024 2:17 p.m. ET

The Cavinder twins are back at Miami.

One day after Hanna Cavinder revealed she was returning to the Hurricanes, twin sister Haley Cavinder said she was decommitting from TCU and headed back to Miami as well.

They were part of the Miami team that went to the Elite Eight in 2023, which — at the time — was expected to be their lone season with the Hurricanes. Neither played college basketball this season.

“Given the news yesterday that my sister was returning to play ball at Miami and after careful consideration and thought, I’ve decided to return to the University of Miami and play with Hanna for our final and 5th year,” Haley Cavinder wrote on Instagram on Friday.

The Cavinder twins — two of the most prominent athletes in the name, image and likeness era of college athletics and who have 4.5 million followers on TikTok — announced last year that they were leaving Miami after one season. At the time, Hanna Cavinder said she was considering no longer playing, and Haley Cavinder suggested she wanted to play one more season.

Until this week, the expectation was that Haley Cavinder would play at TCU.

“There is nothing more important than family and the bond I share with my twin sister,” Haley Cavinder wrote.

The Cavinders have both played four seasons in college, the first three at Fresno State before coming to Miami. They still have a final season of eligibility because of the NCAA ruling that restored a year of eligibility to all athletes who went through a pandemic-affected season.

Haley Cavinder has 2,065 career points and averaged 12.2 points per game in 2022-23, which led that Miami team. Her 65 makes from 3-point range was another team high, by a wide margin. Hanna Cavinder averaged 3.8 points in 2022-23 season for Miami.

“Being presented with the opportunity to play together one more time is something I cannot pass up,” Haley Cavinder wrote. “I am excited for this upcoming season and can’t wait to play at the U.”

TCU is replacing Haley Cavinder with former LSU guard Hailey Van Lith, who entered the transfer portal for the second consecutive season after the Tigers lost to Iowa in the Elite Eight. Van Lith averaged 11.6 points and 3.6 assists in her first and only season with LSU.

She starred at Louisville her first three years, leading the Cardinals to the Final Four in 2022 and to the Elite Eight in 2023. Van Lith was eligible to declare for the draft, but also had the option to return for another season because of the extra year that was granted by the NCAA to athletes whose freshman season was affected by the pandemic.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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