For Haley Cavinder, Basketball Was Just the Beginning

The University of Miami graduate is building a lucrative career in the sport and fitness world.

For years, Haley Cavinder has redefined what it means to succeed both on and off the court. She and her twin sister, Hanna, were leaders in the NIL space throughout their collegiate basketball careers, earning an estimated $2 million collectively through lucrative brand deals with companies like Under Armour, Venmo and Boost Mobile. 

After starting her college basketball career at Fresno State in 2019, Haley was named Mountain West Freshman of the Year and played in all 32 games with 31 starts. Cavinder remained with the Bulldogs through the ‘22 season before transferring to the University of Miami.

Cavinder averaged 12.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game during the 2022–23 season, leading the Hurricanes in scoring and ranking second on the team in total rebounds per game. She helped the Miami women’s basketball team reach the Elite Eight that year for the first time in the program’s history. Though the Hurricanes would fall to LSU 54-42 in the Elite Eight matchup, the journey was an incredibly meaningful one for Cavinder, who recalls Miami’s victory over Indiana during the NCAA tournament’s second round as one of the highlights of her career.

“Beating the No. 1 team in Indiana on a buzzer-beater with our team [was incredible],” says Cavinder, who notched nine points during her 36 minutes of action. “It was hands down my favorite memory ever, and we’re also from Indiana, so being able to go back and play there and have all my family come out was really, really special.”

Another career highlight for Cavinder came in the form of her SI Swimsuit runway debut. She and Hanna strutted the catwalk at the W South Beach for Miami Swim Week in June 2024, a moment the 25-year-old content creator refers to as “a dream.” 

Less than two years later, Cavinder is bringing yet another vision to life and adding one more accolade to her impressive résumé, as she is one of six cover models for our February 2026 digital SI Swimsuit Issue. Late last month, she traveled to Captiva Island in the Fort Myers, Fla. area, where she was photographed by Katherine Goguen alongside Christen Goff, Brittany Mahomes, Ronika Love, Claire Kittle and Normani for our digital cover.

Haley Cavinder was photographed by Katherine Goguen on Captiva Island, Fla. / Katherine Goguen/Sports Illustrated

“I’m excited to work along with so many powerful women and successful women,” Cavinder says of posing for the February 2026 digital cover. “I think Sports Illustrated [Swimsuit] is such a great community full of empowering women … and [to] be around such hardworking women is something that’s really inspiring.”

The group of women who make up our February 2026 digital cover are all paving a path for themselves in various fields, from content creation and fashion to music and sport. One is a celebrated singer-songwriter. Another is the co-owner of a professional women’s soccer team. And Cavinder? She’s a true multihyphenate who, after stepping away from basketball, is continuing to build a career through content creation and various business endeavors. She and Hanna launched their TWOgether fitness app in May 2024, and later this year, they will debut a tequila company and supplement brand. 

Like her fellow models, Cavinder also happens to be in a partnership with an NFL athlete. Her significant other, Jake Ferguson, is a standout tight end for the Dallas Cowboys, and with the start of the 2025 NFL season, she officially entered her WAG era. 

Cavinder was a staple on the sidelines at AT&T Stadium throughout the regular season, where she cheered on her beau, to whom she got engaged last April. And while the phrase “wives and girlfriends” is loosely thrown around to describe significant others of professional athletes, Cavinder embraces the role with pride.

“To me, it means [being] a partner, a supporter,” she says. “You’re your own person at the same time, but it’s also being in the stands and cheering your person on through the good times and being able to just show up for someone you love. Obviously, still working toward your goals and your identity and career, but being able to support someone that you love so much and just feed into their ambition and drive, and then being independent, as well, I feel like that makes your relationship so much stronger.”

Haley Cavinder was photographed by Katherine Goguen on Captiva Island, Fla. Swimsuit by SAME. / Katherine Goguen/Sports Illustrated

Cavinder shows up for her partner, but perhaps more importantly, she continues to show up for herself. She has built an authentic personal brand that merges her passions for sport and fitness, and, after playing her final season with Miami last spring, Cavinder has shifted her focus to entrepreneurship full-time. She says the skills she learned during her time on the basketball court have been instrumental in her career transition, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for her in 2026. 

“No matter what, basketball always taught me you have to show up, whether it’s a good day or a bad day,” Cavinder says. “You have people relying on you … so being able to kind of just show up no matter what and do everything 100%, I think it taught me, no matter [what] feelings [are] involved, [to] just do the work.”

Click here to view Haley Cavinder’s full SI Swimsuit gallery.