Rivers spent her freshman year as a Gamecock at the University of South Carolina before transferring to NC State, where she would play her next three years of college basketball eligibility. Both schools were fairly close to home.
Moving away from home, nearly 12 hours away, quickly became the least of her worries. Just 16 days after Rivers was drafted, her mom passed away on April 30 due to congestive heart failure, her father, Donnell Rivers, confirmed to WECT News 6.
“I’ve been trying not to cry like all day,” Rivers told reporters after her WNBA debut on May 20 against the Las Vegas Aces. “Losing my mom has been the toughest thing I’ve ever faced in my life, and I’m playing for her. I came out here to play for her, and I know she’s looking over me and protecting me in a different way. This night meant the world to me, because this is what she wanted for me. I never thought I’d be here. I wish she was here to see it. But Rachid, the coaching staff, they’ve been so consistent and understanding and loving, and you’ll never meet another staff that is compassionate, as understanding, as caring as them, as supporting as them.”
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Despite all the adversity Rivers has faced, she had a strong debut for the Sun, scoring 11 points and adding two steals, four rebounds and one block. She then found herself entering the starting lineup in her second WNBA game and has been a part of the starting lineup for the past four games for the Sun.
Even with all that she is going through, it is visibly unrecognizable because she always puts a smile on her face and enters the court ready to work.
Rivers’s early days in CT
When Rivers first arrived in Connecticut, she got her very first apartment alone. She looks forward to being able to explore the state a little more as time goes on and hit up some of the best restaurants around.
“The early days [were] training camp and just getting my apartment a little more homey. But I really haven’t had the opportunity to go out yet. I’m still looking for one of those pizza spots. I heard Connecticut got some good pizza, so I’m looking forward to getting out soon,” Rivers said.
Connecticut is different from the environments and cities that Rivers has lived in previously.
“The area is just really quiet, and that’s something I’m not used to. I’m from the city, and I went to college on a city campus, so I’m not used to it being this quiet. But I mean, the people seem nice. I’m a nice person. I feel like me and Connecticut just kind of work. It’s close to New York, and I know you New Yorkers are usually a little rude, so I’m not looking forward to running into my first New Yorker, because I’m so sweet and I don’t want to deal with that,” Rivers said jokingly.
After a month without her mom, Rivers has learned so much about herself as a person.
“I learned … that I can face adversity,” Rivers said. “Obviously, my mom passed, and I’m still here. I think she’s been passed [for] maybe a month or so. So the fact that I’m back on the court and I’m starting … it’s just an amazing opportunity for me.”
Rivers’s village of support
Rivers’s teammates and coaching staff have ensured she never felt alone during this time. They have shown their unwavering support and love towards her by being willing to be there for her in any way she needs or has needed.
They think very highly of her and her capabilities on and off the court, and they have found ways to show that. Rivers’s mom was able to meet the team and staff before she passed, something that has meant a lot to her.
Tina Charles, the Sun’s veteran center, has been someone that Rivers can lean on during this difficult time. Charles knows how hard it is to be a rookie alone before all the added challenges that Rivers has been going through.
While Rivers was away from the team and basketball, Charles made it a point to check up on her every single day.
“I wasn’t with [the team] for like two weeks, and Tina [was] checking in on me every day, and it’s just amazing. She didn’t have to, and she was just on me every day. ‘How are you? You need anything?’ You hear stories about other teams, and you just don’t know how it’s going to be … with the rookie and the vet, and the fact that she just stepped up and was playing like a big sister role, it just really motivated me,” Rivers said.
Charles noted her admiration for Rivers and the fortitude she has shown the rookie during a time of grief and adversity.
“It’s really admirable, because I don’t know where I would be if I was in her position, even at this age and this stage in my career. So just the resilience and the endurance that she’s shown. … So I’m just really thankful for her, thankful to be able to cross paths, and for her to just know that I’m here for her.
“There’s one thing I would tell her every day since that day is things are going to change throughout your career, but I’ll forever be your vet. That will never change, and I’m always here for you,” Charles said.
When Charles was drafted No. 1 overall by the Connecticut Sun in 2010, she had great vets in former WNBA players Kara Lawson and Asjha Jones to help her. Now, Charles wants to return that same favor as the veteran player herself.
“I couldn’t imagine the loss that she had. So I think I was just trying to be the person that I would want if it was other way around … I believe that’s what my role is on this team, and God willing, throughout their career, they’ll pass it down to another teammate and just how they treat those around them,” Charles said.
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Just over a year ago, Sun guard Jacy Sheldon was a rookie herself. She has been able to use her experiences to be there for all the rookies, including Rivers.
“I know what they’re going through. I went through it literally, not even a year ago. So I think just being able to be there for them and help them in any way they need, it moves fast from college, and you kind of go right into things and have to learn quick, and they’ve been doing a great job. So just being there for them in any way they need,” Sheldon told The Next.
Not even a foot away from Sheldon, Rivers was laughing and was in good spirits during pregame warmups on Tuesday before facing the Dallas Wings.
“Saniya’s awesome … she’s been through so much recently, and you wouldn’t know it. She’s just a light and brings smiles to everybody’s face. It’s been fun to get to know her better. Obviously, her game speaks for itself, but [she’s a] really special person as well,” Sheldon said.
A versatile guard
Rivers is a dynamic player who thrives on both ends of the floor. The skills she possesses in her toolbox have led her to be the highest-drafted player in NC State history. Rivers is a two-time All-ACC First Team member (2024, 2025), a two-time ACC All-Defensive Team member (2024, 2025) and earned ACC Sixth Player of the Year honors in 2023.
In 2025, she helped lead NC State to an ACC regular-season title one year after leading them to their first Final Four appearance since 1998 during the 2024 season. She is also an NCAA National Champion, which she earned during her freshman year in South Carolina in 2022.
Rivers accomplished so much in just three seasons at NC State and has a lot of potential to grow in the league. She is the only player in program history at NC State with at least 1,100 points, 600 rebounds, 350 assists, 180 steals and 100 blocks.
“When you think about Saniya. I think her versatility, her ability to guard, her length, her ability to score too. So just to affect the game in so many different ways at this level is really important,” Sheldon said.
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Sun head coach Rachid Meziane sees something special in Rivers and how she’s able to positively impact the team. He has high expectations for Rivers’s growth this season and is willing to do whatever it takes to help develop her while still being supportive.
“Saniya, she shows that she can contribute,” Meziane said. “She can have a big impact on the team. Defensively, she can be very solid. She gave me a lot of options so she can defend positions, one, two, three, four. I like her offensive energy because she’s a one-on-one oriented player. She can break the line, she can create advantages for getting her teammates open.
“So we expect a lot from [Rivers and fellow rookie Aneesah Morrow] … but we have to do it smartly. And like I said, just being patient with them, and we will see how we can grow and how we can develop them during the season.”
Playing for her family
Rivers comes from a sports family that has made her who she is today. They have always been a strong support system for Rivers, and her gratitude for them runs deep.
“My whole family played basketball,” River explained. “My mom played at UNC Wilmington, my sister actually played at NC State, where I went to school. [My] dad played at Elon. So basketball just kind of runs in the family, and I just wanted to be next up.”
“If we’re being honest, the WNBA was never really my dream,” Rivers said. “I wasn’t really that little girl that just said, ‘Oh, my God, one day I’m gonna be in the W,’ but this was honestly my family’s dream, and I feel like I’d be doing them and me a disservice by not even trying. … Especially when my mom passed, I was like, ‘Oh, I gotta do this thing now, this is what she wanted for me.’ This is her dream for me.”
With the Sun in a transitional period with a new-look roster and a new coaching staff, Rivers knows it will take time for them to build the chemistry they need to succeed. But it is still early in the season, and the squad has time to figure it out, which Rivers is positive will happen.
“My mom got the opportunity to meet the staff and the team before she passed, and I think she was able to rest because she knew I was in good hands. And even though it’s hard, I think I know that I’m in good hands, and I’m loved, and I’m with the program that will care for me, look over me and help me in any shape or form. So I’m just grateful … but they’ve been amazing, and I just know that we’ll figure this thing out because of the love that they’ve displayed to me, and love overlooks everything. So love, trust, and we gonna get this thing turned around for sure,” Rivers said.
