The latest fan theory making the rounds on X is a tongue-in-cheek "domino effect" that credits Caitlin Clark for essentially setting Miami's current CFP run in motion.
Fans are joking that one March matchup in women's basketball snowballed into roster moves that somehow ended with Carson Beck in Coral Gables.
Let's all thank Caitlin Clark for absolutely torching Hayley Van Lith in March, which led to her transferring from LSU to TCU, which was going to cut in HAYLEY Cavinder's playing time, which led the twins BACK to Miami... which led to... Carson Beck following his girlfriend... pic.twitter.com/Vc9eytJ4sP
— #DoomSayer (@MrBill11) January 11, 2025
The chain of events that led Carson Beck to Miami (maybe)
It starts with Iowa-LSU in the 2024 women's Elite Eight, the rematch everybody had their eyes on at the time. Clark went nuclear, scoring 41 points with 12 assists as Iowa beat defending national champion LSU 94-87. A big piece of the postgame discussion centered on LSU often leaving Hailey Van Lith as the primary defender on Clark, a matchup that didn't go well.
That was Van Lith's last game at LSU. In April 2024, Van Lith transferred to TCU for the 2024-25 season. The theory credits that game as what caused Van Lith to enter the portal, suggesting she was looking for a new start.
Then the theory gets to the Cavinder twins. Haley Cavinder had a brief chapter at TCU. In November 2023, Haley Cavinder decided to come out of retirement to transfer to TCU for the 2024-25 season. The plan for her was to get back into basketball and play her last season without her sister, Hanna. But, months later, Haley and Hanna Cavinder announced they were returning to play their final season with the Hurricanes in 2024-25.
The idea here is that Van Lith arriving at TCU would have cut into Haley Cavinder's role, which forced her back to Miami with her twin. That part is obviously presented as a joke (as most of this is). Still, the timeline checks out, so let's keep it moving to Beck's connection
Beck was the Georgia quarterback when he publicly confirmed he was dating Hanna Cavinder in 2024. In January 2025, Beck entered the transfer portal, and he committed to Miami within about 24 hours.
That's where the "following his girlfriend" narrative comes into play. There were rumors linking Beck to Miami even before his decision became official. Once he announced the move, fans were quick to point it out. Obviously, that's not why he chose Miami, but the chain of events allow for some fun speculation.
Regardless of the lack of validity, the detective-level work here is admirable. And Miami is now one win away from sending Caitlin Clark an honorary national championship ring.