Haley and Hanna Cavinder didn’t have an identity crisis after they retired from basketball last year.
After playing their final year of NCAA eligibility for the Miami Hurricanes, the twin sisters — who were two of the top earners when the Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) era began in 2021 — said they “struck while iron was hot” when it came to building their brand outside of the U.
Haley and Hanna, both 25, took The Post inside their busy world of being brand founders and business owners during a recent interview before they take the court for their first-ever live one-on-one matchup on BetMGM’s Court of Legends in Las Vegas this weekend.
“Being able to start our own companies is something we’re very passionate about, and we have a baby that’s coming out that soon that we’ve been working on for a while,” Hanna said.
Although they couldn’t disclose much, Haley added that it’s “something within health and fitness and supplements.”
It’s on-brand for the pair, who’ve been candid about their health and wellness journeys since high school.
The Under Armour athletes have a workout app, TWOGETHER, and also co-founded Azucar, a tequila brand launching this spring.
“Being able to dive deeper into our own entrepreneurial spirit is something that we’re super passionate about as well,” Hanna said. “When basketball ended, it’s like, ‘What are you going to do afterwards?’ Especially as female athletes. I think it’s [us] being kind of a blueprint of example.
“If you build your brand right in the right way, it can help you so much in the business world. If that’s something you’re very passionate about, and she and I are, it’s about taking advantage of that and striking when it’s hot.”
Haley added that it’s been amazing to see former NCAA gymnast Olivia Dunne and LSU star-turned- WNBA All-Star Angel Reese — two faces of the NIL era — flourish in their careers.
“I think touching on that, being able to inspire the younger generation of females and kind of just allow them to see that you don’t have to be one thing,” Haley said. “Seeing what Livvy has done and Angel Reese, they’re examples of that and people look up to them.
“We didn’t put ourselves in a box. We took advantage of every opportunity, and I think seeing athletes do a great job of and building their brand the right way.”
Part of setting that example is dealing with negativity online — something they’ve dealt with since their rise to fame on TikTok during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When there’s so many eyes on you, it comes with it regardless and you’re always going to have to navigate and look at the negative — but there’s so much good out there that outweighs it,” Haley said.
“I just don’t read it anymore,” Hanna added.
Haley, who’s marrying Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson this June, explained that she’s enjoying bringing their millions of followers along through their love story.
“We’re taking advantage of all these opportunities and being able to kind of put our spin on it and just kind of evolve with our audience,” Haley said. “I think with the power of social media, you can bring your audience along with you as you evolve into different chapters. I’m getting married, you know, and being able to kind of grow up with them, it’s been a dream job.”
Hanna helped plan Haley and Jake’s joint bachelor/bachelorette trip to the Bahamas last month.
“It was actually Jake’s idea [for a joint trip],” Haley said. “We have such a fun circle of friends, so we were like, ‘Let’s all go to the Bahamas and party,’ and that’s what we did. By day two, I was like, ‘We’re done with themes and let’s just go keep drinking because that was the thing.’ That was the theme.
“We had a great time being able to celebrate us and now we’re more excited for the wedding.”
LSU football coach Lane Kiffin and Georgia coach Kirby Smart both made cameos during the trip, as seen in social media posts.
“Super random,” Haley said with a laugh, noting that Kiffin and Smart just happened to be in the Bahamas at the same time. “We played basketball versus (Kiffin) and his nieces and nephews and they were great. It was a great time and it was good to get back on the court and get some reps for the Court of Legends game.
“He did take the L respectfully … I did get chippy, but, you know, we’re competitive.”
Haley is embracing her WAG era.
She appeared on the February 2026 digital SI Swimsuit Issue cover, which included fellow NFL WAGs Brittany Mahomes, Normani, Ronika Love, Claire Kittle and Christen Goff.
It came after both Haley and Hanna walked in the 2024 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Runway Show at the W South Beach during Miami Swim Week.
The sisters said they are not a part of the 2026 SI Swimsuit issue, launching in May, but are manifesting a future in the magazine.
Haley and Hanna became two of the highest-paid college athletes, having earned an estimated seven figures in NIL deals when the NCAA rule change in 2021, enabling student-athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness.
The sisters rose to internet stardom during the COVID-19 pandemic, when they began sharing dancing videos on TikTok.
They have 4.5 million followers on their joint TikTok, as of Saturday.
Their individual Instagram pages have nearly two million combined followers.
Haley and Hanna emphasized that having creative control while working with brands is important.
“Being able to work with all these brands long-term wise and building relationships and getting creative control with them and kind of put our niche on it has been something that’s special to us,” Hanna said. “But we’re constantly just expanding and dipping our toes into different areas and challenging ourselves.”
This weekend, the twin sisters will come out of retirement to face off in a live one-on-one matchup as part of their partnership with BetMGM.
“We’ve never played live, one-on-one, so it’s going to be a full circle moment now that we’re done with basketball,” Haley said. “For the Court of Legends, they just showed us the court and it’s an LED setup and it’s like a speakeasy vibe… There’s an incredible roster of people and it’s going to get competitive.”
Haley and Hanna’s one-on-one matchup will be streamed on X, YouTube and the BetMGM app.
