Haley Cavinder opens up shock decision to return to college basketball WITHOUT twin sister Hanna: ‘It was so, so hard to walk away’

Haley Cavinder has opened up about how much she missed basketball before making her shock decision to return to the sport this week.

Haley and her sister Hanna retired from college basketball in April, but this week she returned to the transfer portal and will officially return for the 2024-2025 season.

Now, Haley spoke in detail about her decision on their Cavinder twins podcast.

“It was so, so hard to walk away from the sport,” Haley said. “I don’t think people really understand how difficult a decision that was.

“Every day I woke up thinking, ‘I want to play basketball, I want to play basketball.’ I just want to play basketball and everything else I’m so big on can take care of itself.

She left the Miami Hurricanes earlier this year with her twin sister Hanna

“I honestly tried to get back this season but it just didn’t work out. We had given a brand word, there were so many things we had both committed to.”

Outside of sports, the twins have earned an estimated $4.4 million in endorsement deals, but for Haley, basketball returns as the No. 1 priority.

Haley teamed with Hanna to help Miami Hurricanes reach the Elite Eight stage of March Madness this year, but a month later revealed they were dropping out of court.

The twins revealed on the podcast this week that Haley told her family she planned to return while she was in Nashville at her sister’s bachelorette party.

Haley said she told her mom and dad, not her sister Hanna.

“It’s so hard, I don’t think people understand that there’s so much in our lives that we have to figure out,” she said.

Hanna supports her sister’s move, but will not return to court herself.

“It’s Haley’s decision, we’re all going to figure it out together,” she said. ‘I’m going to be by her side. It’s Haley’s decision, we are individuals. It has nothing to do with business. This is what she wants to do.”