What next for the Cavinder Twins after March Madness? No WNBA, or TikTok… will they join WWE?
‘There are a lot of people who make you one-dimensional; you have to be an influencer or you have to be a basketball player. I think you can be both,’ Haley Cavinder told reporters last week at March Madness. It is an appointment that can stay for some time.
And in the case of Haley and her twin Hanna, why shouldn’t it apply? They have a large social media following across various platforms, including 4.5 million followers on TikTok, an estimated wealth close to $2 million at the age of 22, and 31 endorsement deals and counting. There are many things that the Cavinder twins have gotten right so far.
His March Madness run ended last weekend when the Miami Hurricanes were defeated 54-42 by LSU.
But now, as the dust settles on a tournament that further boosted their profiles, one exciting question remains: what’s next?
dailymail.com assess some of its possibilities.
The Cavinder twins turned heads in the Miami Hurricanes’ run to the March Madness Elite Eight
Now the 22-year-old twins have several different options ahead of them for what comes next.
They have been playing basketball since they were six years old, but it seems that the future is far from the game.
WNBA
Could she one day move to the WNBA on the cards? Despite their recent fame as influencers, a love of basketball is central to who the Cavinder twins are. They have been playing the game since the age of six, after all.
Of the two, Haley is widely considered the better, with Hanna having a role off the bench for the Miami Hurricanes in most of March Madness.
WNBA rules state that players must be 22 years old, which are the Cavinder twins, to declare for the draft and have no remaining college eligibility.
But, it seems like it would take a significant change of heart for any of them to even try to get recruited.
It has been reported in times past that both would be tempted by an offer from the WNBA should it ever come up. But a cold fact is that at 5-foot-6, they’re on the smaller side for positions playing guard.
And in a recent appearance on the BFF Podcast, host Dave Portnoy told them bluntly: ‘What comes next? Because, no offense, I don’t think the WNBA is in any of their futures, no offense.
‘No, no, it’s fine’ they answered together, at the same time with a smile. ‘None taken.’
Hanna added: ‘My world has changed, to be completely honest. And they always say that we are too small. We are 5-6 on a good day, 5 foot 5 and a half.
In a recent interview, Hanna said they’re both often told they’re short for basketball players.
Haley Cavinder is considered the best player, but the WNBA doesn’t seem to be on the radar.
WWE
“We definitely didn’t grow up wanting to become wrestlers,” Haley Cavinder told TIME magazine in 2021. “It just happened. It’s right up our alley because it’s entertainment. And that’s what Hanna and I do apart.
When rules preventing college athletes from accepting third-party endorsements were lifted in 2021, the Cavinder twins announced a surprising deal to partner with WWE to promote wrestling and, potentially, once their playing days are over, even participate.
WWE has begun partnering with college stars to recruit their future generation of stars and the Cavinder twins were among several athletes they partnered with.
As part of the deal, it is believed that the Cavinder twins are given access to WWE’s Performance Center in Florida to learn stunts and any other skills necessary to participate as wrestlers.
And while it’s an unexpected move, it’s also potentially lucrative. In 2022, WWE’s revenue increased 10 percent and exceeded $1 billion.
“We were at an event in Nashville and it was so much fun, and their fan base is crazy,” Hanna enthused on the BFF podcast. We could be the next Bella Twins.
‘We would have to take classes, fully train and take classes. Do it completely. It’s not a joke, not at all.
Hanna (pictured) and Haley have signed terms of a partnership to work with WWE.
The twins have the option to train and compete in wrestling some day in the future.
They recently joked that as a duo, they could be the new Bella Twins competing in WWE.
INFLUENCERS
“We’re in the middle for sure,” Hanna said in March when asked if they were basketball players or influencers.
Haley added: “On TikTok, with Covid, I feel like that’s when it all happened and I feel like people like the twin aspect.”
But while the Cavinders are enjoying the platform that comes from their social media presence, it seems like it’s not something they’ll see themselves doing forever.
Talking with him New York PostHaley said in early March: “I feel like influencing, you get involved, it’s very hard work and being able to stay consistent with social media and everything that goes with it, endorsements for everyone, it’s very difficult.”
‘It’s not a 9-5. Sometimes I think that social networks are too much and super overwhelming and I want to have a life outside of them. But I also know that that’s where the money is and I’m going to use it and take advantage of it.’
Despite their massive following, the sisters have said they don’t want to be influencers forever.
REAL ESTATE
So if, as Haley said, they make most of their money through social media and the advertising opportunities that arise, what will they do with their dollars?
Well, a real estate empire could be one avenue they explore.
“It’s more about having passive income,” Hanna told BFF. “We’re very interested in health and fitness, so we’re trying to build a brand on that and we really want to get into real estate.”
Hanna also admitted that a health and fitness brand along with WWE appearances would work well together.
The Cavinders, worth an estimated $1.7 million, could invest their money in real estate.
Next year they could break up if Haley decides to keep playing while Hanna “wants to start life.”
CAN THEY BE DIVIDED?
“Yeah, there’s a chance we could break up,” Hanna told BFF, despite Portnoy suggesting it wouldn’t be a good move if they want to cash in on the brand they’re creating.
Haley added: “It’s not that we want to break up, she may not want to take her fifth year.”
‘Honestly, I like to play rim, so I might go back and take my fifth year. Hannah is more like “I want to start my life.” So it’s not really about influence, it’s just what she might want.’
Forbes estimated that the Cavinders’ wealth was around $1.7 billion last year. They also have their own podcast, Twin Talk, and a YouTube channel that has 87,000 subscribers and counting.
In an era where YouTubers like Jake Paul are trying to carve out a career in boxing, or the likes of Paige Spiranac and Rachel Stuhlmann are building a following for their respective sports like golf and tennis, there seems to be an increasing number of space on the sporting landscape for the likes of the Cavinders.