'Once in a lifetime player': Miami basketball stars Haley and Hanna Cavinder praise Caitlin Clark as haters seethe

Twin basketball players Haley and Hanna Cavinder praised WNBA star Caitlin Clark as a generational player, going against the grain as WNBA players and critics attempt to bury Clark in controversy.

The basketball sisters recently announced they would play a fifth and final NCAA season with the Miami Hurricanes, and despite it being popular to downplay Clark's popularity, the Cavinders remarked that she is growing the footprint of the sport worldwide.

"What she's done for the game over the last year is insanely good for women's basketball and just the viewership and the revenue. People are way more intrigued by it," Haley said.

The 22-year-old added that Clark's absence from college basketball will likely leave a void.

"You could tell by the March Madness, the viewership compared to the men. So I think what she's done as a whole, everyone will miss her. I mean, she's fun to watch. Everyone wants to watch her," she told Outkick. "I think the game is growing, and I think it's a good sport for the younger generation to look up and being able to just inspire them."

"I think she's a once in a lifetime player," she continued. "She's amazing, and that's why people want to watch, that's what grows the game, the women's game."

"What she's doing for the game is great for women's basketball," Haley concluded.

Clark's popularity is rarely questioned given her ability to inflate ticket prices at any arena she steps foot in, but that hasn't stopped accusations of race-favoritism and consistent complaints from other WNBA players.

Las Vegas Aces player A'ja Wilson claimed that race has played a "huge" role in the popularity of Clark and blamed racism for her lack of endorsement deals (she would later sign with Nike and Gatorade).

"The View" host Sunny Hostin claimed that Clark's fame had a lot to do with her having the "privilege" of being white and pretty.

Other WNBA players like Sophie Cunningham and Angel Reese have joined a caucus of athletes who have complained that their chartered flights aren't as big as Clark's plane when flying with the Indiana Fever.

"We are so grateful to be able to start chartering, but with that, there's a lot of things that need to be adjusted," Cunningham said, adding that players couldn't fit all their bags on the charter.

'There is nothing more important than family and the bond I share with my Twin sister.'

Any praise Clark has received has typically come from outside her league from the likes of retired players like Charles Barkley or former NFL star Antonio Brown, for example.

"You women out there, y'all petty, man! Hey, LeBron, you are 100% right on these girls hatin' on Caitlin Clark. Y'all petty girls!" Barkley said on TNT. "I expect men to be petty 'cause we're the most insecure group in the world. Y'all should be thanking that girl for gettin' y'all ass private charters, all the money and visibility she's bringing to the WNBA. Don't be petty like dudes!"

NFL champion Brown had similar sentiments when he spoke to BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock.

"I love Caitlin Clark," Brown told Whitlock. "She's one of the best athletes in woman sports right now. She's one of the best."

The Cavinders are stars in their own right and are already noted to be millionaires from their numerous endorsements. Their popularity off the court has helped them achieve what was never possible before the NCAA allowed its athletes to profit off their likeness.

After initially retiring from basketball, Haley had announced in November 2023 that she would be joining Texas Christian University in the 2024 season.

However, after sister Hanna announced her return to Miami University, Haley decided to join her.

"There is nothing more important than family and the bond I share with my Twin sister. Being presented the opportunity to play together one more time is something i cannot pass up," she said in a statement.

"We'll continue to grow, and continue to do our part [to grow the sport]," she explained to Outkick.

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