But this season was the hardest of her life.
Losing her mom roughly a month after being drafted opened up a whole new world of mental health challenges that she didn’t expect to face this young.
After their win against the Phoenix Mercury this past Saturday, Rivers shared that she has been making it a point of emphasis to work on and take care of her mental health.
“A lot of people see me smiling, dancing, uplifting other people. But I have terrible days when all I want to do is lay in bed and just cry and reminisce about the good days, about my mom,” Rivers told The Next.
Her teammates, coaches and the fans have noticed her endless smile and great energy. Rivers also makes sure to always stay positive and celebrate all team wins, regardless of their significance.
“They’re [the rookies] just always trying to have fun, especially Saniya, she would remind us in the huddles like, ‘Hey guys, I know they went on a run but let’s just have fun,’” Sun center Tina Charles told reporters during her exit interview on Thursday.
Despite what Saniya has gone through this season, she has made a lot of noise as a rookie and is considered a heavy favorite for the All-Rookie team and All-Defensive team. She finished the season with 62 total steals, 38 blocks and 371 points and now holds the record for single season stocks (stocks and blocks) in Connecticut Sun franchise history. She also broke the rookie record for threes in a single season. She’s also ranked in the top 10 in the league in steals this season with 1.5 steals per game.
Coping behind the scenes
After the hard start to her rookie season, Rivers was able to find outlets to help with coping with the loss of her mother and dealing with the stressors that may come with being a professional basketball player. She seems to find peace in the things that she really loves or has a passion for outside of her career.
“I do self care. I go shopping. Sometimes I just binge watch some of my favorite shows, whatever. Maybe I cook, I love cooking, and I love cooking for others. So I throw a meal together for me and Marina from time to time. I just try to focus on the things that make me happy. I give a shout out to my mentor, I talk to my therapist, I talk to my sister. She’s my life coach, so I just take all that serious[ly]. And I think it’s definitely a big reason I’m here,” Rivers said.
Rivers also enjoys spending time with her cat, Masego, which has been another way for her to manage her mental health. She joked that she usually will play with her cat to try and tire her out before bedtime so that she isn’t kept up all night.
“She’ll cuddle with me whenever I sit on the couch or bed and watch some TV so. And yeah, she just makes me very happy…We both get a good workout in and get a good day in, and then we sleep together. So it’s perfect,” Rivers said.
Marina, her sounding board
Rivers has talked about how much of an impact Sun guard Marina Mabrey has made on her life since they met. She occasionally has said that Mabrey saved her life, during the season.
The two developed a deep bond and eventually started the pregame tradition of playing a friendly game of one-on-on. The duo is known for Rivers teaching Mabrey how to dance, too, going on live streams on social media.
Mabrey has been able to see Rivers for who she is and has been a safe place for the rookie to share her feelings. Mabrey has done what she could to support her teammate but knows that healing isn’t linear and it will take time.
“Just understanding that the grieving process is a long process, and there’s no way to determine how she’ll be every day…” Mabrey said before their last game on how she has been there for Rivers. “So just being there for her on days that maybe sometimes people think it’s gone, it’s over with. It’s not gone, it’s not over with.”
Mabrey shows her support by accompanying her when doing things Rivers enjoys to do.
“…Being able to know the things that she likes to do that make her feel good, make her feel happy. So I try to say like, ‘Hey, let’s go her walk. Let’s go to the car, listen to music,’ stuff like that that I know she really likes shopping, picking out outfits, just things that bring her joy in life, because I know she’s going through a lot. So as a teammate, as a leader, as a friend. That’s something I would want someone to do for me.”
Connecticut Sun guard Saniya Rivers (22) and Connecticut Sun guard Marina Mabrey (3) celebrate a win against the Phoenix Mercury after a game at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut on September 6, 2025. (Photo credit: Chris Poss | The Next)
Rivers has appreciated how Mabrey has shown up for her off the court, especially at the beginning of the season when it felt like there was no light at the end of the tunnel.
“It’s not all about basketball, I think she really showed me that,” Rivers said pregame on Wednesday. “Me and Marina have grown so close to each other and I’m just so grateful for her. I tell her every day that there’s no way that I could ever repay you for what you’ve done for me. I feel like she saved my life.
I was really struggling in the beginning of the season, not knowing how to navigate anything, being a part of a new league in a new state, it was just a lot. And I just feel like losing my mom, I didn’t really know how to navigate anything. So her just being there, being a shoulder [to] cry on, an ear to listen to it really helped me out.”
Rivers of support
Rivers has also expressed her gratitude towards the Sun organization, coaching staff and the rest of the team for also all being supportive throughout the season. Head coach Rachid Meziane has been able to support Rivers on a deeper level after opening up before the game that he also lost a parent, his father.
“We try to be with her every day… because I lost my dad, so it’s always hard for me, but yeah, [I] just to give her a force, to play with joy and to share things with her friends or family. I know that her dad is here now, so it’s very beautiful for her, but you know her teammates to talk with her a lot and to never, let her [be] alone in the lockerroom…,”Meziane told reporters pregame.
Sun forward Aneesah Morrow was drafted alongside Rivers and said that going through the process of adjusting to the WNBA together has been helpful. Rivers has also offered support back to Morrow on her bad days, showing her support for her friend.
Rivers shared earlier in the season that her friendship with Morrow is special and low maintenance. They could go days without talking but immediately pick back up where they left things.
“I always try to check in on her, but I don’t want to feel like I’m bothering her,” Morrow told The Next. “So me and her go back and forth about this thing of, ‘just call me, or just check in, or do this, you won’t be bothering me’, But honestly, just being there for her as much as I could, any conversations like that she needs, or anything like that, I’m there.
I try to surprise her a little bit and do stuff for her. Just try to be that little joy bubble that she needs sometimes, because I know she always walks in with a smile every day. But nobody really gets to see the times that I’m seeing.”
Despite the adversity that Rivers faced this season, what her teammates and others have found impressive has been her ability to still step out onto the court each and every night and perform at a high level. Morrow admires how her teammate and friend has carried herself and displayed her strength.
“Her ability to come in and just try to make everybody else around her happy and joyful, always showing up with a smile on her face. Honestly, those are the strongest people. And I know that she’s very strong mentally, but I know that she has a good support system around her family comes to a lot of games and are here to support her all the time, and she’s blessed,” Morrow said.
