CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Haley Cavinder, one of the most recognizable players in the name, image and likeness era of college athletics, has entered the transfer portal, a person with knowledge of the move said Friday.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the portal decision was not announced publicly. Cavinder posted on social media Friday that she plans to return to play — “see you next season” she wrote on Instagram — but did not say where.
It would also be possible for her to return to Miami, if she chose, though entering the portal suggests she may have a new destination in mind.
Cavinder and her twin sister Hanna played at Miami last season and helped the Hurricanes reach the Elite Eight. Haley Cavinder had told the AP last season that she planned to play one more college season; Hanna Cavinder said she was likely done playing. The twins announced in April they would not be playing this season.
Haley Cavinder ended last season with 2,065 career points, which was 19th-most among all active Division I players. She averaged 12.2 points per game last season, a team best for Miami — and her 65 makes from 3-point range was another team high, by a wide margin.
The twins transferred from Fresno State to Miami in April 2022 with hopes of playing in the NCAA Tournament and probably exceeded even their own expectations by helping the Hurricanes fall just short of reaching the Final Four.
The twins have 4.5 million followers on TikTok, part of their enormous footprint in the social media space. When the NIL era started on July 1, 2021, and NCAA rules began allowing athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness, the Cavinders were among the first stars: Boost Mobile signed them immediately, touting the deal with a giant advertisement in New York’s Times Square, and many other deals followed.
“What started as us playing basketball 16 years ago turned into something bigger than we could ever imagine,” the twins said in April in the statement where they announced they weren’t playing this season.
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AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll