{"id":472964,"date":"2023-06-14T10:00:35","date_gmt":"2023-06-14T14:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/awfulannouncing.com\/?p=472964"},"modified":"2023-06-14T00:05:43","modified_gmt":"2023-06-14T04:05:43","slug":"cavinder-twins-disappointed-disgusted-ethan-strauss-interview-free-press","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/awfulannouncing.com\/ncaa\/cavinder-twins-disappointed-disgusted-ethan-strauss-interview-free-press.html","title":{"rendered":"Cavinder Twins ‘disappointed and disgusted’ over Ethan Strauss article, claim interview was ‘obtained by a false pretense’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tuesday, Bari Weiss-led outlet The Free Press posted an article titled The NCAA Has a \u2018Hot Girl\u2019 Problem<\/em><\/a>. It highlighted Haley and Hanna Cavinder, two former women’s college basketball players who garnered lots of NIL money (albeit with some controversy<\/a>) based on their social media followings.<\/p>\n

Penned by former ESPN and The Athletic beat reporter Ethan Strauss, the piece was specifically about the Cavinder Twins, but also about the phenomenon of “blonde, girl-next-door” female athletes who have rocketed to the top of the NIL game regardless of how they perform in their given sport. The Cavinder Twins, along with LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne<\/a>, have been able to bank a lot of money off of name, image, and likeness rights, though not without drawing attention from the NCAA<\/a> and critics<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“The Cavinder Twins, the emerging oligarchs of women\u2019s college basketball, aren\u2019t the best players. But they might be the best-looking,” read the article’s subtitle.<\/p>\n

The article mostly recounts Haley and Hanna’s rise through social media, their start playing college basketball at Fresno State, and the NIL deals that played a role in bringing them to Miami last season before they decided they’d forgo their final season of eligibility<\/a> and announced they’ll be working with the WWE<\/a> and Jake Paul’s Betr<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The piece also juxtaposes their journey with commentary and quotes about the state of NIL and how conventionally attractive female athletes presumably have a leg-up in earning money over better performers.<\/p>\n

“…there\u2019s the way things are supposed to be, a world in which male and female athletes are genderless machines, and the only thing that matters is how fast, how strong, and how skilled they are,” wrote Strauss. “And then there\u2019s the way things really are, a world in which most people who watch sports are dudes with paunches and six-packs of beer. They appreciate girls who can shoot three-pointers, but really, they like girls in bikinis making mindless videos\u2014OnlyFans with a dollop of ‘wellness.'”<\/p>\n

After the article was published, the twins released a statement on social media, objecting to the thesis of the article and claiming that their interview “was obtained by a false pretense.”<\/p>\n

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https:\/\/t.co\/JLPU6Swa9i<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/WtOp5fYuNx<\/a><\/p>\n

— Hanna Cavinder (@CavinderHanna) June 13, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n