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The Connecticut Sun selected Saniya Rivers with the eighth overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft on Monday.
After being named the 2021 Gatorade National Player of the Year and a McDonald’s, WBCA and Naismith All-American, the six-foot-one guard from Wilmington, North Carolina graduated from Eugene Ashley High School and crossed state lines to attend the University of South Carolina.
Rivers won the national title in 2022 with Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks as a role player off the bench before transferring to NC State, returning to her home state.
During her three years with the Wolfpack, Rivers developed her skills as a complete, all-around athlete. This past year she averaged 11.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg and a team-best 3.8 apg to go with 1.6 spg and 1.3 bpg. Rivers also received selections to the All-ACC First Team and ACC All-Defensive Team for the second consecutive year.
Rivers joins Connecticut in a moment of transition. Tina Charles, Marina Mabrey and Diamond DeShields are probably the only locks for the Sun’s starting lineup at the beginning of training camp on Apr. 28.
With the Sun selecting LSU’s Aneesah Morrow with the No. 7 overall pick moments prior to taking Rivers, the final starting spot in the rotation is most likely going to be a free-for-all. Unless Connecticut’s new head coach Rachid Meziane opts for a two-big lineup by pairing Charles with Olivia Nelson-Ododa, the current favorites are Lindsay Allen, veteran guard out of Notre Dame with seven years of experience, and Jacy Sheldon, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft out of Ohio State by the Dallas Wings.
Leïla Lacan, the Sun’s selection with the No. 10 overall pick in 2024, signed her rookie contract and will be starting her WNBA career this spring with the real possibility of also providing Allen and Sheldon with competition.
Rivers’ ceiling for this season is most likely seeing backup minutes between shooting guard and small forward. But the lack of clarity at the point guard position and a lack of competition for the backup small forward minutes, Rivers will see plenty of action on the court with her combination of length and tenacity.
Continue reading...
After being named the 2021 Gatorade National Player of the Year and a McDonald’s, WBCA and Naismith All-American, the six-foot-one guard from Wilmington, North Carolina graduated from Eugene Ashley High School and crossed state lines to attend the University of South Carolina.
Rivers won the national title in 2022 with Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks as a role player off the bench before transferring to NC State, returning to her home state.
During her three years with the Wolfpack, Rivers developed her skills as a complete, all-around athlete. This past year she averaged 11.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg and a team-best 3.8 apg to go with 1.6 spg and 1.3 bpg. Rivers also received selections to the All-ACC First Team and ACC All-Defensive Team for the second consecutive year.
The Fit
Rivers joins Connecticut in a moment of transition. Tina Charles, Marina Mabrey and Diamond DeShields are probably the only locks for the Sun’s starting lineup at the beginning of training camp on Apr. 28.
With the Sun selecting LSU’s Aneesah Morrow with the No. 7 overall pick moments prior to taking Rivers, the final starting spot in the rotation is most likely going to be a free-for-all. Unless Connecticut’s new head coach Rachid Meziane opts for a two-big lineup by pairing Charles with Olivia Nelson-Ododa, the current favorites are Lindsay Allen, veteran guard out of Notre Dame with seven years of experience, and Jacy Sheldon, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft out of Ohio State by the Dallas Wings.
Leïla Lacan, the Sun’s selection with the No. 10 overall pick in 2024, signed her rookie contract and will be starting her WNBA career this spring with the real possibility of also providing Allen and Sheldon with competition.
Rivers’ ceiling for this season is most likely seeing backup minutes between shooting guard and small forward. But the lack of clarity at the point guard position and a lack of competition for the backup small forward minutes, Rivers will see plenty of action on the court with her combination of length and tenacity.
Continue reading...
