Haley Cavinder commits to TCU in basketball return. Will she play this season?
Haley Cavinder is headed back onto the court.
One half of the social media stars and the "queens of the NIL" Cavinder twins, former Miami Hurricanes and Fresno State guard Haley Cavinder announced on Monday she is officially ending her retirement from basketball and has committed to play for TCU.
"The last rodeo," Cavinder posted on social media of her donning a Horned Frogs uniform.
"mom just bought purple cowboy boots after seeing this," sister Hanna Cavinder responded on Instagram.
Cavinder, who spent the first three years of her college career with Fresno State, will return to basketball after a stellar season with the Hurricanes, as she was instrumental in the team's first-ever Elite Eight run in the NCAA tournament. A starter, she led Miami with 12.2 points per game, was second in rebounds at 4.9 per game while shooting 40.9% from the 3-point line. She was All-ACC second team last season.
Haley Cavinder returns to basketball
Cavinder's announcement comes seven months after her and her sister announced they wouldn't be returning to Miami and would "start a new chapter in our lives." Even with their basketball careers, the twins have become NIL pioneers, as the sisters were on track to earn $1 million in NIL money and transferred to Miami for a bigger platform. The two have millions of followers on Tik Tok and Instagram.
Since deciding to leave basketball in April, the Cavinders have been busy partnering with several companies while pursuing other endeavors. The two signed a contract with WWE and had been at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, training for a possible in-ring career.
However, on Oct. 13 Cavinder announced she would be returning to basketball and considered a return to Miami before ultimately joining the Horned Frogs. Hanna Cavinder has not announced any intentions to return to basketball.
Will Haley Cavinder play for TCU this season?
Despite Cavinder's announcement, the 2021 Mountain West Player of the Year will not be playing for TCU this season. She said on her Instagram story, "see ya next season Fort Worth."
It'd be unlikely Cavinder would be cleared to play this season if she wished, as she'd have to get a waiver from the NCAA to do so as the season has already started.
The addition to Cavinder for 2024 could give TCU a big boost to what is already a program on the rise. Led by Oregon-transfer Sedona Prince, the Horned Frogs are 3-0 to start the season under first-year head coach Mark Campbell. TCU hasn't been to the women's NCAA tournament since 2010, and has never advanced past the second round.
Prince and her teammates already seem ecstatic about Cavinder joining the team next season.