Underwear deal adds to eye-popping income for Fresno State’s Cavinder twins

Name, Image and Likeness has changed quite a bit for college athletes including Fresno State twins Haley and Hanna Cavinder, who turned TikTok fame and their wide-reaching social media presence into deals with a number of national companies. Boost Mobile and Six Star Pro Nutrition were among the first and it has barely slowed, the twins on Thursday signing a deal with PSD Underwear for their own underwear line and adding to a valuation that has been pegged by the marketing platform Opendorse at more than $600,000 a year.

But from the first day of the NIL era back in July when the Cavinder twins were in Times Square in New York for national television appearances from CBS to CNN to HBO to ESPN, the goal on the basketball court has not changed.

“We want our regular season to end in a Mountain West championship,” Hanna Cavinder said, during the conference’s virtual media days. “Our immediate goal is to get to the NCAAs – we’re excited to do that this year.”

Fresno State, which reached the NCAA Tournament for seven consecutive seasons from 2008 to 2014 under Adrian Wiggins or Raegan Pebley, hasn’t advanced once in seven years under coach Jaime White.

But that could change with the Cavinders leading a roster which is better balanced with six new additions and a lot more size, and could be much better equipped to get Fresno State through that final game at the Mountain West Tournament after a 3-point loss to Wyoming last season and a 4-point loss in overtime to Boise State in 2020.

“The one and only goal is to get to the dance,” Haley Cavinder said. “Like Hanna said, that was our goal coming in. We always vocalized that to Coach White. But I think we have the team to back it up this year and we’re just excited to get it rolling.”

The only players under 5-foot-10 on the Bulldogs’ roster are the Cavinders, both 5-6; Haley the Mountain West preseason player of the year and Hannah a preseason all-conference team selection.

When the Cavinders first hit Fresno, they played in a small three-guard lineup that allowed them to get up and down the floor and put up a lot of points on teams that had difficulty keeping up.

That first season the Bulldogs averaged 76.1 points per game, up from 69.7. Fresno State last season averaged 77.8.

Can rebuilt roster get Cavinder twins, ‘Dogs to tournament?

But against bigger teams or when games tightened come conference tournament time, they came agonizingly close only to fall short of the big prize.

The Bulldogs this season are bigger. And, there is a chemistry building there.

“From past seasons, I think we learned a lot from the girls before, obviously with experience,” Haley Cavinder said. “But we’re super excited about the squad we have right now. There are a lot of new faces, a lot of new talent, and just being able to work with these girls in the summer and see us all mesh together has been super cool.

“The team chemistry is there and we’re just excited to get preseason rolling.”

While starters Maddi Utti and Aly Gamez left the team and did not play in the WNIT, transferring to Long Beach State and North Texas, the Bulldogs added proven mid-major talent and a strong freshman class.

Imani Lacy, the former Central High standout, played last season at Long Beach State after starting her college career at Nevada. In 2020, the 6-1 Lacy averaged 11.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots for the Wolf Pack in just 22.1 minutes per game.

Amiee Book, a 6-foot forward, played three seasons at Cal State Fullerton, hitting 46.7% of her shots including 39.1% from the 3-point line.

Bulldogs picked to win Mountain West

White added freshmen Sydney Dethman, a 6-2 forward; Jessica Peterson, a 6-2 center; Tamia Stricklin, a 5-11 forward; and Angela Whitfield, a 5-11 guard from San Joaquin Memorial High.

The Bulldogs also return 6-foot forward Wytalla Motta, 5-11 forward Aunjona James, 5-10 guards Keely Brown, Daylee Dunn and Yanina Todorova, 5-11 forward Charisse Fairley and 6-2 center Maria Guimaraes.

Fresno State, with its new mix, was picked to win the Mountain West in a preseason poll of conference coaches and selected media. The Bulldogs received 13 first-place votes, though four other schools received at least one including San Jose State, which was picked to finish ninth in the conference. New Mexico, UNLV, Colorado State and defending tournament champion Wyoming rounded out the top five.

“I think we were the same last year,” said White, who has led the Bulldogs to the championship game of the Mountain West Tournament four times. “It is what it is. We’re excited. I think it shows that people know and understand that we have players coming back and I think it’s kind of a compliment.

“Our team is excited about that. I think we’re pretty used to that here at Fresno State. Whether it’s one or two or three, we all know the number at the beginning isn’t what matters, it’s the number at the end.”

Fresno State firsts

Exhibition: Fresno Pacific on Nov. 5

Season opener: at Utah Valley on Nov. 11

Home opener: Stanislaus State on Nov. 17

This story was originally published October 14, 2021 at 4:01 PM.