Haley and Hanna Cavinder are the latest college WBB stars lighting up the MLB

Women’s basketball players from across the country have earned more and more (well-deserved) notoriety over the past few years. From Sabrina Ionescu to Caitlin Clark to Angel Reese, female athletes are becoming household names.

The Miami Hurricanes women’s basketball team is no different, with star players Hanna and Haley Cavinder dominating on the court and social media.

Most recently, the twins became the latest WBB stars to throw out a first pitch for an MLB game when the pair tossed out two strikes at a Miami Marlins game.

The Cavinders aren’t alone in the women’s basketball to MLB pipeline. JuJu Watkins, sophomore guard for the USC Trojans, threw out a first pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers this weekend.

While celebrities and athletes are not new to the first pitch, it's yet another step toward women’s sports being held as equal to men’s.

In 2023, Cameron Brink threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a New York Mets game while she was playing for the Stanford Cardinal.

Earlier this year, former NCAA stars and current WNBA legends Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardosa threw out first pitches at a Chicago Cubs game. Both Reese and Cardosa were drafted by the Chicago Sky in the 2024 WNBA Draft.

Another WNBA who recently tried her hand at throwing out a fastball instead of shooting a deep ball was Aaliyah Edwards at a Washington Nationals game:

Edwards played college basketball for the UConn Huskies and was drafted by the Washington Mystics in 2024.

While throwing out a first pitch isn't a direct line to breaking the glass ceiling, it does bring more attention to the sport which never hurts.

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