The Cavinder Twins Join Under Armour Before Their Final Year At UMiami [Exclusive] (2024)

It’s the thick of summer, but the Cavinder twins are already preparing for their last year of college basketball, as they pursue their master's degrees in sports administration at the University of Miami.

During their chat with Elite Daily in late June, Haley and Hanna Cavinder were already two weeks into their pre-preseason workouts, even though UMiami’s first game isn’t until Nov. 9. As content creators, collegiate athletes, and most recently, Under Armour’s newest brand ambassadors, their schedules are far from easy to manage, but they’ve been making them work because they want to experience it all.

Since they started posting on TikTok in 2020 amid lockdowns, the 23-year-olds from Arizona have amassed over 4.5 million followers on TikTok for their basketball, workout, and lifestyle content. Now, they’re taking that influence further with what Haley calls a “dream partnership” with Under Armour.

In their new roles, Haley and Hanna will be testing out products and giving feedback on designs, a perfect fit for sisters who practically live in athletic attire.

“Haley and I wear Under Armour every single day,” Hanna tells Elite Daily ahead of the announcement. “Whether we're going on a walk or going to dinner, it's a brand that you can wear on and off the court. We absolutely love it.”

We feel like our most comfortable selves in athleisure.

Whether they’re headed to class, practice, or lifting, the Cavinder twins have mastered the sporty chic look — and the confidence that comes with it. “We feel like our most comfortable selves in athleisure,” says Hanna.

It’s that kind of mindset that they’re bringing to UMiami this year, where they’ll hopefully lead the team back to the Elite Eight, the coveted quarter-finals of the NCAA Championship.

Here, the Cavinder twins open up about their decision to return for a fifth year; how they balance school, sports, and content; and what they’re most looking forward to this upcoming basketball season.

Elite Daily: There has been way more public attention on women’s basketball this past year. What’s that been like for you to see?

Hanna: It's been awesome to see women's basketball take off, especially in the March Madness tournament. So many amazing athletes have led the way, and their storylines draw a lot of people to them. It’s very important to Haley and me that we help continue to make the game grow.

ED: The WNBA draft shattered records this year. Who were you most excited about at the time?

Haley: I'm a huge Caitlin Clark fan, so I was really excited for her. I was tuned in just to watch her achieve her dream.

ED: In April, you posted a funny TikTok about deciding whether to take your fifth year of basketball. How did that conversation actually go?

Hanna: I know that we are twins, but the decision to play again definitely hit us at different times.

Haley: For me, once we decided not to keep playing, I regretted it right away. A week or two later, I knew I wanted to take a fifth year. I realized that my life without basketball was not something I wanted. I didn’t announce it until two months later though.

Hanna: At the time, I wasn't in a great state of mind to be able to make that decision. If I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it 100%. Back then, I couldn't give it my all, so it was time to step away.

When I got a call a couple of months ago from Coach Fitz at the University of Miami, he offered me an opportunity that I didn't want to say no to. Being able to play basketball one more year at the University of Miami with my twin isn’t something I would regret. So I told myself, "Do it afraid. Ignore the noise, and do it for yourself." So I'm super excited for this year and to see what we do.

ED: What were the reactions like from your family and school friends when you decided on a fifth year?

Hanna: We always go to our inner circle first. We really value the opinion of our family. Those are the people we go to for advice because they’re the ones who see our everyday life. So before we announced it, we had people in our corner that we trusted.

Not everything needs to be public right away. Obviously, there are always going to be naysayers about any situation. But our inner circle was our foundation. That was just the most important thing to me, making sure that people had my back. Then it was a matter of saying, “OK, let’s do this.”

ED: I can imagine your lives as student-athletes and content creators are hectic, especially at a school like Miami with such a huge social scene. Can you walk me through your daily routine?

Haley: Hanna and I are huge planners. We try to cram in as much as we can in 24 hours. During the season, we wake up around 7 a.m. To begin our day, we always say our starting five is our protein oatmeal, our coffee, our water, our vitamins, and our devotional.

We go to class and then have to get to practice an hour early to get taped and get our bodies warmed up. Practice is from 12 to 3, and we’re off our phones that whole time. Then we lift from 3 to 4. When we get home, we take care of any filming for partnerships or brands.

My biggest piece of advice is to get a team around you that you can trust.

Off-season is different. We usually do a lot of the traveling, like going to Baltimore to visit Under Armour headquarters and stuff like that. It varies from day to day, but it's a dream job and we're very big on capitalizing on it, both on and off the court. I think you can do it all.

ED: Do you have any tips for managing a busy schedule while still making time to have fun?

Hanna: My biggest piece of advice is to get a team around you that you can trust. Also, plan ahead. We always get our schedule about a month out, so that helps us with balancing everything.

Social-wise, we make sure that we spend time with family and friends during the weekends. It fills our cup. Obviously, our priorities right now look a little bit different compared to someone who wants to have a busy social life. We're more focused on setting ourselves up for success right now. But I truly think that you can do it all.

Haley: It helps that we enjoy doing this so much. It's such a passion of ours. So even when it's not fun sometimes, it’s important to remember that this is my dream job.

ED: UMiami has gotten a lot more social media attention in recent years, especially with alumni like Alix Earle and Xandra. Has the dynamic changed on campus at all for you as content creators?

Hanna: When we transferred, Alix Earle and Xandra were doing amazing things for the U and capitalizing off of their social media success. That's been really cool to see. The U is just a great community and a great campus for networking and making connections.

Haley: I don't know if the aura has changed.

Hanna: No. I don't think the aura has changed at all. But because Alix Earle and Xandra's brands are so big, there’s a domino effect. Now, the U is a brand itself. We're big Canes fans, so we love it.

ED: Do you get recognized on campus often?

Hanna: Yes. Everyone's super excited that we're back and it's been great. I think it helps grow the game as well. But I don't think they can tell us apart. Our personalities are very different, so once you get to know us, you can. But at first glance? Absolutely not.

Having the Elite Eight as the last memory of basketball is such a fire — a motivator — to me, going into this season.

ED: You’re going into your last season at UMiami. What are you most looking forward to?

Haley: I'm most looking forward to the March Madness tournament. Having the Elite Eight as the last memory of basketball is such a fire — a motivator — to me, going into this season.

Hanna: The last taste in our mouths was the March Madness tournament. Obviously, we want to get back there. Having a really good pre-season and being able to build our camaraderie as a team is something that we're looking forward to. I love the girls. It's Week 2 of summer workouts, and I'm super fired up.

ED: You recently walked in the SI Swim Show together. Any nerves going into it?

Haley: It was amazing. It’s been our dream for a while. It was one of my favorite things I've ever done.

Hanna: It definitely was on the bucket list. So we just tried to be present in that moment. It was super special.

ED: Did you befriend any of the other models pre- or post-show?

Haley: Yes, they were awesome. I loved Katie Austin, Ellie Thumann, and Abbie Herbert. Alix Earle was amazing. Xandra, too. I could go on and on.

Hanna: Everyone was so sweet. They make you feel super comfortable. They give you a lot of confidence. I would ask them 10 times, "How do I do this? Give me the tips.” They were fun and super encouraging.

ED: Heading into your final year of college basketball, do you have any plans for what’s next?

Hanna: When we walked away from basketball, we both got a taste of what’s beyond the sport. Our main focus will be continuing our brand, working with amazing companies like Under Armour, and being able to dive more into their campaigns and explore their brands with them.

We also have an app called Twogether, where we help girls with health, fitness, and nutrition plans. It's a huge passion of ours.

Haley: Like Hanna said, we have so many passions outside of basketball, so while that’s definitely taking our focus this year, there’s so much more we can dive into.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.