It took fewer than ninety seconds for Saniya Rivers to make an impression on Connecticut Sun fans in her WNBA debut. Midway through the first quarter of a May 20 matchup against the Las Vegas Aces at Mohegan Sun Arena, Rivers—in true rookie fashion—gambled heavily on a flat-angle pass from Las Vegas’ Dana Evans to Jackie Young at the perimeter. Young, recognizing the over-commitment, attacked the space Rivers left behind, triggering a defensive rotation that left three-time MVP A’ja Wilson wide open in the corner—an area where she’s gone a respectable 3-of-5 since the start of the 2024 season. With the defense collapsing on Young in the paint and Wilson set to catch and shoot, the Sun were in scramble mode.
Until Rivers returned.
Using her distinctive blend of length and speed, she recovered just in time to bat away Young’s pass to Wilson—forcing a baseline inbound and giving the Connecticut defense a chance to regroup. That single action encapsulates nearly everything the Sun has seen so far from this year’s No. 8 overall pick: the expected rookie growing pains, flashes of elite two-way potential, and the effervescent energy that’s quickly endeared her to teammates and fans alike.
Maintaining that enthusiasm and positive outlook has been nothing short of remarkable. Saniya Rivers lost her mother, Demetria, on April 30—just 16 days after being drafted by Connecticut. Yet, after an all-too-short time away, the rookie rejoined her teammates in mid-May. It’s a resilience Connecticut’s most notable veteran, Tina Charles, called “admirable” after the matchup with the Aces. “I don’t know where I would be if I was in her position. Even at this age and this stage in my career,” Charles said of Rivers’ return. And even several weeks after that debut, it’s hard not to be struck by the energy Rivers continues to bring, while navigating not only the most difficult transition in a player’s career, from college to the pros, but also a profound personal one off the court.
Yet even amid two monumental life shifts, Saniya Rivers remained hard on herself. After the Aces loss, she admitted she’d “messed up a few” of the team’s offensive actions and emphasized that improved strength and preparation would be key to her development. And indeed, at times, her play has reflected that of a first-year pro. The same over-exuberance that nearly caught her out on the Young play has surfaced occasionally on defense, there have been missed assignments on both ends, and her shooting efficiency (36/21/81 splits) still has room to grow. Still, these are typical rookie growing pains—especially for a player drafted primarily for her defensive ability. And despite those early bumps, the returns have been encouraging. The eye test, in particular, suggests a player with considerable offensive potential just beginning to tap into her full game.
But before we explore her offensive upside, her often exceptional defensive contributions deserve a closer look. So far, she ranks among the league’s best in steals per game (1.3), making her one of just three rookies in the top 25—a list topped by defensive stalwarts like Wilson, Napheesa Collier, and Natasha Cloud. In fact, when adjusting for minutes played, Rivers’ steals are nearly on par with Collier, the league’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year. In other words, some of the “gambling” mentioned as a downside of her game is actually quite justified: her length and instincts allow her to make plays that most defenders simply can’t.
Of course, steals aren’t always the most reliable stat for measuring true defensive impact—as a glance at the W and NBA leaderboards will sometimes confirm. But film typically makes clear the difference between players who jump recklessly into passing lanes for steals, leaving their teammates exposed, and those with a true knack for taking the ball—regardless of context. Saniya Rivers, as the clips above show, clearly falls into the latter group. Whether she’s using her quick hands to poke the ball loose, recovering to intercept a cross-court pass, or physically ripping it away from an opponent, her timing and feel for when to attack often make the risk negligible for the defense—even if her attempt doesn’t quite land.
And speaking of attacking the ball, Rivers has also flashed an early talent for collecting the other prized defensive stat: blocks—thanks to many of the same tools, plus her balance and vertical explosiveness. She currently ranks 20th in the league in blocks per game (0.7) and is one of four players 6’1” or shorter in the top 20, alongside Collier, Ariel Atkins, and Kennedy Burke. Much like her steals, Rivers’ blocks come from a range of game situations—and even this early in her rookie season, her reel already features the variety of rejections you’d expect from a seasoned shot-blocker.
From stopping Rhyne Howard on a standard closeout, to recovering in time to swat Allisha Gray, to exploding from the weak side to meet Sug Sutton at the rim, Saniya Rivers has already racked up an impressive mix of blocks—whether she’s navigating screens, chasing the play, or rotating as a help defender. That versatility is impressive in its own right, but it’s the fourth and final play that stands out most—offering a glimpse into her potential as a lockdown one-on-one defender.
After navigating a sturdy screen from Kiah Stokes at the point of attack, Rivers shuffles to her right, anticipating a drive from Chelsea Gray toward the basket. But Gray counters with a crossover into a mid-range pull-up. While Rivers stays with her—expected, given the relatively tame crossover—it’s what happens next that’s far less typical: she explodes off the floor and gets high enough to block the shot with her off hand. A big part of what makes that possible is Rivers’ balance. Even while sliding laterally, she never overcommits her weight in one direction—staying poised enough to elevate at a moment’s notice.
It’s that exact combination—explosiveness and cat-like balance—that makes her such a dangerous isolation defender. Add in her wingspan and high-level defensive instincts, and you’ve got all the tools needed to shape a standout wing stopper. She’s long enough to sag off and still contest shots, giving herself a cushion against quicker first steps. But she’s also nimble and strong enough to press up at the perimeter as needed, and still stick with attackers off the bounce. That ability to toggle between both approaches allows Saniya Rivers to recover and still win possessions—even when the offense manages to get her chasing.
Of course, with time will come more experience against savvy professionals like Gray, who bring a deep bag of tricks. On this play, she eventually scores—even after picking up her dribble—using a pump fake that gets Rivers in the air, followed by a clever step-through move. As she grows more familiar with the tendencies of the WNBA—more advanced than those she faced in college—she should be less likely to bite on fakes like this, especially since she can trust her tools and still contest shots. The more her knowledge of the W develops, the higher the level of defender she should become.
And while defense may always be her calling card, there are already clear signs of her offensive potential—especially in how her defensive plays, like steals, generate easy transition scoring opportunities. For a rookie, those chances are crucial for building comfort within the offense. Beyond that, her shot profile reveals another area of confidence: along the baseline between the left corner and the paint.
Basketball analysts and coaches often say that great scorers—especially mid-range specialists—have a knack for “finding their spots.” Rivers, when operating to and from this area of the court, displays precisely the kind of rhythm players are aiming to generate when working around a favored spot.
Now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves and mistake rhythm for results. The shot plot shows more misses than makes from that baseline area—meaning the rhythm Rivers displays would be meaningless if it doesn’t eventually lead to efficiency. But Connecticut doesn’t need to stress about the long-term consequences of short-term results this season. Under new head coach Rachid Meziane, who said at media day that “everybody here [in Connecticut]is on the same page, we want to rebuild,” the franchise has shown clear organizational alignment around a patient, development-focused approach in 2025.
Viewed through that lens, Saniya Rivers’ offensive body of work—particularly her ability to consistently get to a spot where she’s comfortable (likely due to frequent reps there in practice)—looks far more promising, even if efficient scoring isn’t yet part of the picture. And truthfully, while her ability to “find her spots” was likened to that of great scorers above, the Sun didn’t draft Rivers to be a primary offensive weapon. Still, the opportunities she’s getting in 2025—third on the team in shot attempts (7.3 per game)—should pay dividends over time, regardless of the size of her offensive role on the eventual finished product of this Connecticut rebuild. And if the Sun continues leaning into development this season, that number should only continue to grow.
While Rivers’ comfort handling the ball and getting to this specific spot was evident from her earliest WNBA appearances, the opportunity to repeatedly run that action within a high-volume role will only help her further develop that comfort at the pro level. For many young players drafted straight into a “role player” situation, that kind of offensive development window never really opens outside of preseason or garbage time minutes. Some adapt—especially those with experience in limited roles prior to becoming a pro—but others find their offensive growth stunted by the lack of opportunities to try, fail, and adjust. The result? A passive player who, in today’s game, often ends up confined to the corner, with their offensive viability tied almost entirely to whether or not they can hit spot-up threes.
Whether Rivers ultimately blossoms from a defense-first draft pick (she put up 42/27/67 splits in her final season at NC State) into a more involved offensive piece remains to be seen. However, the high-impact role she’s been offered in 2025 allows her the space to develop two or three go-to offensive skills—raising her floor even if the Sun eventually adds enough talent to use her as a fourth or fifth scoring option. Another example of a skill that has flashed potential so far is her ball-handling in the pick-and-roll, with her size and willingness to create for others making her a difficult match-up.
The clips from the Atlanta game highlight both Saniya Rivers’ clever passing—the wraparound assist to Kariata Diaby—and her patience, as seen when she draws Brionna Jones out of the play after Howard switches onto Tina Charles. But it’s the final two clips, from other matchups, that better illustrate where she can consistently add value. In both cases, Rivers simply takes what the defense gives her. Defenders from the screen stay attached to Rivers as she comes off it, and she checks the ball down to the open big. The assist to Olivia Nelson-Ododa, against New York, actually comes after an off-ball screen—so it’s not a true pick-and-roll—but the principles and execution mirror exactly what Meziane, or any coach, would want from a ball-handler in a similarly spaced set.
And again, it’s those seemingly simple contributions from Rivers that could significantly boost her long-term value. It’s not about turning her into a high-usage pick-and-roll initiator who carves up defenses like Gray or Courtney Vandersloot—nor should it be. Instead, it’s about extracting value from the specific skills she does offer, within the flow of the offense. Crucially, as on the defensive end, Rivers’ combination of size and speed forces opposing coaches into difficult matchup decisions. On a team with someone like Marina Mabrey—ball-dominant but also highly efficient on catch-and-shoot looks—a secondary pick-and-roll ball handler like Rivers is especially useful, creating opportunities to collapse the defense and kick out. Even if Mabrey, specifically, departs in free agency next winter, Rivers’ continued development in the pick-and-roll and other offensive areas gives GM Morgan Tuck added flexibility from a roster construction standpoint.
Tuck, like Meziane, has emphasized that player development—not short-term wins—is the team’s guiding principle in 2025. That clarity is especially important when considering Rivers’ advanced opportunities. Speaking to NBC Sports Boston in May, Tuck explained: “There’s some challenges that come with youth, but you have to get them [Rivers and fellow rookie Aneesah Morrow] out there. The more reps that they get, [the better].” She also described Rivers, along with Morrow, as “key pieces” whom she’s “excited to see develop.”
Such praise might feel expected from a general manager who recently drafted a player, but Saniya Rivers has earned universal acclaim across the Connecticut organization. Alongside Charles’ commendation of her off-court resilience, Meziane told the media minutes after Rivers’ WNBA debut, “She showed to the team, she showed me, she showed to the league, that she can be a great player.” Mabrey echoed the sentiment after the Sun’s narrow loss to the Lynx on May 23, calling Rivers “an amazing athlete,” “amazing on defense,” and highlighting her ability to create her own shot when the offense stalled. “She hasn’t even scratched the surface,” Mabrey added. “She’s only going to get better for us…I know that’s going to elevate the team.”
Indeed, that “amazing” defense has already elevated the Sun, with early on-off numbers showing Connecticut has been considerably more effective with Rivers on the court (105.3 defensive rating) than off (116.4). That swing of over 11 points per 100 possessions can’t be solely attributed to her, but the fact that her on-court number outpaces every other regular (15+ minutes) rotation player—Haley Peters (109.8) is the next closest—suggests it’s more than just a statistical fluke.
In fact, nothing about Saniya Rivers’ rookie season has felt accidental. From the clear on-court development plan to the off-court support she’s received in moments of personal adversity, the Sun has helped strike the perfect balance between giving her space to contribute now and grow into a variety of roles later.
“Even though it’s hard [dealing with loss], I think I know that I’m in good hands and that I’m loved, and I’m with a program that will care for me, look over me, and help me in any shape or form,” Rivers said after her debut. “So, I’m just grateful.”
All stats as of June 19th. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Basketball Reference and WNBA.com.
