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Saniya Rivers selected with No. 8 pick in WNBA Draft

April 14, 2025, 10:02 pm | by Tim Hower

Saniya Rivers’ dream of playing professional basketball became a reality Monday night when she was selected by the Connecticut Sun with the No. 8 pick in the WNBA Draft. 

The 2021 Ashley grad and two-time N.C. Gatorade Player of the Year was among a handful of players invited to the event, which was held in New York City. Joining here were several members of her family, including her parents (Donnell and Dee). 

After joining commissioner Cathy Engelbert on stage for a photo with a Connecticut jersey, Rivers was interviewed by ESPN’s Holly Rowe. The first question was about the support of her family. 

“I love y’all from the bottom of my heart,” she said. “I may not have come from riches, but I came from a family of love. Just the fact that they’re here supporting me and and they are (always) in the stands, it just means the world to me. They sacrificed a lot to get me here, so I’m really grateful.”

Rivers signed with South Carolina out of high school and played one season with the Gamecocks, where she was a member of the 2022 National Championship team. She transferred to N.C. State for her final three years, leading the Wolfpack to 79 victories and a pair of appearances in the Sweet 16.

As a senior, Rivers averaged 11.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocks while playing a team-high 34.1 minutes per game. Her offensive versatility and intensity on the defensive end of the floor are what made her a top-10 selection.  

The Sun are coming off a successful 2024 that saw them finish second in the Eastern Conference with a record of 28-12. After sweeping the Indiana Fever in the first round, Connecticut fell in five games to the Minnesota Lynx in the semifinals. 

“I think I can be great in this league,” Rivers said. “I’m just ready to be a sponge and grasp whatever I can from the veterans.”

Rivers is the second player from Wilmington to be selected in the WNBA Draft. Laney graduate Tamera Young was also taken with the No. 8 pick by the Atlanta Dream in 2008.