Haley Cavinder recalls the story of meeting fiance, Dallas Cowboys star Jake Ferguson

Haley Cavinder and Jake Ferguson immediately hit it off. During an appearance on What’s Your Story? with Steph McMahon, the former Miami women’s basketball star reflected on how she met the Dallas Cowboys tight end who ultimately became her fiancé.

“We had just graduated from the University of Miami, and we were living in Miami still, and Jake was actually in Fort Myers because his mom lives up there, and he’d just finished his season. He just asked, long story short, and we met up,” Cavinder said.

“Then, we hung for like 10 days straight. We celebrated Fourth of July together, and then started dating. And yeah, ever since I was — he’s literally perfect. I cannot wait to marry him. But, then I moved in with him after we proposed and, yeah, we’re getting married in June. So, I’m really, really excited about that.”

Cavinder and Ferguson began officially dating in 2023. They got engaged in April 2025. The athletic couple often attended one another’s games

Ferguson has played tight end for the Cowboys since the franchise drafted him in 2022. He recorded 82 catches for 600 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns last season. In July 2025, Ferguson signed a four-year, $52 million contract extension with the Cowboys.

Cavinder completed her collegiate career in 2025 at Miami. She averaged 18.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game in her final season. While Cavinder is no longer tearing up the hardwood, she boasts over a million followers on Instagram and was on the cover of Sports Illustrated‘s Swimsuit digital edition in February.

Though Cavinder liked Ferguson from the moment she met him, she wasn’t willing to call him her soulmate immediately. Her family, on the other hand, didn’t hesitate to get their hopes up for the relationship.

“In the beginning, my family loved him. Like, the first moment my family met him, they were like, ‘You’re going to marry him, Haley.’ And, I’m like very slow ship. I’m like, ‘Oh, maybe,'” Cavinder recalled. “Jake told me probably within three days. He was like, ‘I’m gonna marry you.’ And then, yeah, here we are.”

Haley Cavinder’s family knew best this time. Now, with only a few months until the wedding, Cavinder is in planning mode.

“I’m probably the furthest thing from a bridezilla,” Haley said on TikTok. “But planning a wedding, is, I mean, one, the amount of money that goes into one day of your life, it’s hard to stomach. 

“I don’t like spending money. I’m very frugal, so understanding how much you’re spending on flowers. I’m just like, ‘Wow.'”