Saniya Rivers
Saniya Rivers is an American professional basketball player for the Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association and for the Hive of Unrivaled. She played college basketball for the NC State Wolfpack of the Atlantic Coast Conference. She previously played for the South Carolina Gamecocks. Rivers was selected eighth overall by the Sun in the 2025 WNBA draft.
High school career
Rivers played basketball for Eugene Ashley High School in Wilmington. She was a three-time North Carolina Gatorade player of the year and a four-time NCBCA All-state selection.In her senior year, she averaged 34.3 points, 12.1 rebounds, 6.1 steals, and 5.8 assists per game and lead Ashley to a 2021 Mideastern Conference title. She was also the 2021 Gatorade National Player of the Year and a McDonald's All-American. Rivers was rated a five-star recruit, the number three player and the number 2 guard in the class of 2021 by ESPN. On May 30, 2020, she committed to South Carolina.
College career
Rivers played as a reserve at South Carolina as the team won a national championship, appearing in 27 games and averaging 2.3 points and 1.4 assists. She scored a season-high eight points against Alabama shooting 4-7 and had a season-high five assists against Auburn. In May 2022, Rivers transferred to NC State.In her sophomore season, Rivers played in 31 games, averaging 8.6 points and 5.2 rebounds. She led the team in rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks per game. She scored a season-high 22 points, a career high 5 assists, and a career-high 4 steals against Iowa. She later had 6 assists against Princeton in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Rivers was named as the ACC Sixth Player of the Year.
As a junior, Rivers was a First-team All-ACC and All-Defensive team selection. She was also an AP All-American Honorable Mention. She averaged 12.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.1 steals, and 0.9 blocks, starting all 35 games. She led the team in assists and steals per game. In the postseason, Rivers was named to the Portland 4 Regional All-Tournament Team, as she helped the team to the Final Four.
Professional career
WNBA
Connecticut Sun (2025–present)
Rivers was selected eighth overall by the Connecticut Sun in the 2025 WNBA draft. She missed most of training camp, all of preseason, and the season opener to spend time with her family after her mother died. She made her debut on May 20, in a 62–87 loss to the Las Vegas Aces, scoring 11 points in 25 minutes off the bench.Unrivaled
On November 5, 2025, it was announced that Rivers had been drafted by Hive BC for the 2026 Unrivaled season.Personal life
In April 2024, Rivers attended Kelsey Plum's second annual Dawg Class, a 3-day camp with the purpose of helping top women college athletes transition from collegiate to professional basketball. The 2024 camp was held at the IMG Academy and sponsored by Under Armour.On April 30, 2025, her mother Demetria died of congestive heart failure.