Haley Cavinder explains decision to join Hanna at Miami after never playing a game at old team

Haley Cavinder has confirmed her return to Miami as she prepares to play alongside twin sister Hanna for the Hurricanes. She never played a minute for previous team, TCU, having to sit out 2023-24 after transferring to the Horned Frogs.

With the Cavinder sibling pairing having risen to prominence as two of the most recognizable faces in the NCAA , their return to the program has been a major talking point in the women's college basketball community. Uncertainty surrounded whether the duo would play together again given Hanna's brief basketball hiatus and Haley previously committing to TCU.

However, plans for the 23-year-old to represent TCU have been shelved, with the sisters set to see out their fifth and final years of collegiate eligibility at Miami instead. Having not played a game for the Horned Frogs, Haley admitted that the chance to share the court with her sibling again was too difficult an opportunity to pass up.

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Explaining her decision to return to Miami , she explained: "Given the news yesterday that my sister was returning to play ball at Miami and after careful consideration and thought, I've decided to return to the University of Miami and play with Hanna for our final and 5th year.

"There is nothing more important than family and the bond I share with my twin sister," she acknowledged, in a touching address. "Being presented with the opportunity to play together one more time is something I cannot pass up. I am excited for this upcoming season and cant wait to play at the U."

One day before, Hanna announced the decision to also return to the Miami fold. Opening up on her thought process, she said: "My last season of basketball was one of the most successful and challenging (years) of my life but it helped me grow immense.

"The past few months I have been itching to get back to the game that I thought I lost the passion for, Hanna continued, with her eagerness to step back onto the court palpable, as she eventually cut to the chase, adding: "With that being said, I am returning for one more (season)."

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Previously on their "Twin Talk" podcast, Hayley discussed potentially going at it alone in her final year of eligibility, after announcing her intention to play for TCU. During a revealing conversation, she appeared to hint that she was on a different page to her sister in terms of her desire to play again.

She explained: "All the other stuff I'm so big on will take care of itself. As twins this has helped us so much. We don't have to do everything together. All my twins out there, it's OK to have certain passions. You can have your own life, you can love your own things, I can love my own things, and we're fine."

However, Haley had admitted that she did not see a future in the sport without her sibling, admitting: "I don't want to play basketball without Hanna. I started with her, so at the end of the day, I want to end basketball and start our new lives together, but it was definitely difficult for me."

During the same interview, conducted jointly, Hanna added: "You grow and learn as a person throughout the year. I'm ready to take the next chapter in my life and to explore that. We have exciting things coming, so I'm really excited for the next chapter with Haley. We were going to make it work regardless. ... I just wanted Haley to feel as supported as possible, but at end of the day, I think that we're always better together."