Saniya Rivers found herself in need of some tattoo therapy.
The NC State guard was reeling after her team had been upset by Virginia Tech in January 2024 by way of an Elizabeth Kitley buzzer-beater. The loss had snapped the Wolfpack’s undefeated season to date.
On the trip home, Rivers impulsively pulled out a sketchpad to formulate a tattoo design for her back.
“I put together the tattoo and then, like, maybe 30 minutes later went to get it done,” Rivers said.
Rivers’ back tattoo is an ode to the Wilmington, North Carolina, native’s resilience. What first catches a viewer’s eye are the words inscribed in bold over Rivers’ shoulder blades: No Rain, No Flowers.
On Monday, Rivers will hear her name called during the 2025 WNBA draft after completing a collegiate career that solidified her as one of the top pro prospects in the country.
There was a period along her journey, though, where she was ready to walk away from her pro aspirations altogether. But a jolt of encouragement from a WNBA All-Star pushed Rivers to recommit to chasing her dream, one which she’ll now realize.
“Sometimes you just have to go through some things. You’re going to go through adversity. You got to go through the hard days,” Rivers said. “But when you get out of that and when you get to the end of the tunnel, you’ll see that it was for something. … So, no rain, no flowers.”
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When Rivers initially joined her new teammates at the University of South Carolina in 2021, it was the first time in her career that she had gone from being the best player on her team to, as she puts it, “being surrounded by a bunch of yous.”
The experience was humbling for Rivers, the No. 3 ranked player in her high school class, who now found herself on a roster that would produce seven eventual WNBA draft picks.
Rivers played limited minutes in her freshman season and, as a result, said that caused her to begin losing confidence in herself. Her joy surrounding the game had already begun to slightly sour in the year prior as she struggled with the playing restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
South Carolina would win the 2022 national championship. Rivers would enter the transfer portal at the conclusion of the season.
In May 2022, Rivers committed to NC State, where she’d step into a larger role and go on to form one of the best backcourts in the country alongside guard Aziaha James.
While Rivers said she was able to regain some of the confidence she had lost, she was still missing a “mental toughness” and motivation to play the game long term. She’d begun to cast away the idea of turning pro after school.
“I think for me, when basketball started to get a little hard and life started to get a little hard with college, I kind of leaned away from it and just said, ‘OK, I’m just going to be a collegiate athlete. When college is over, I’m going to wrap it up.’” Rivers said.
During the 2023-24 season, Rivers received an invite to be a part of the second iteration of Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum’s “Dawg Class,” a three-day training camp that convened the best guard talent in the country.
Rivers remembers arriving at the camp exhausted. She had just come off of a Final Four run with the Wolfpack less than a week prior and mentally was more ready for a break than basketball. But attending Plum’s camp would ignite the spark Rivers had been seeking.
On the court, Rivers was able to compete with some of the best backcourt players in college basketball, from Connecticut’s Azzi Fudd to then-Florida State’s Ta’Niya Latson. Amongst the best players at her position, Rivers not only held her own but shined – and proved to herself that she belonged.
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“She’s a dog and a competitor,” said South Carolina point guard Raven Johnson, who was a part of last year’s class. “She’s going to hit you for a loose ball. She’s going to hit you for a rebound. It makes you want to compete against her. You’re going against a lanky guard. I hated guarding her when I was at camp because she’s so long.”
Rivers said the camp’s focus on being about more than just basketball was important to her. She tried Pilates for the first time. She got to play with puppies with her peers. It all served as a much needed reset.
While Rivers said there wasn’t a single moment that led her to flip a mental switch about becoming a pro, she recalled an impactful conversation she had with Plum during the camp.
“I talked to Kelsey poolside for a little bit one day. She was telling me that I had the potential to be great, that I should pursue the W,” Rivers said. “She really had confidence that I would make it in the league. I really feel like last year around this time is when I decided, ‘OK, WNBA is the next step. That’s what I’m going to pursue.’”
By camp’s end, Rivers was named the MVP, or “Dawg of the Class.” She was rewarded with a necklace that contained a pendant appropriately shaped like a dog bone.
Rivers wears the necklace every day.
“You’d have to snatch it off my neck to get it off me,” Rivers said, adding that Plum has remained an invaluable resource since the camp ended. “I wear it every day just as a reminder that I can be great.”
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During the 2024-25 season, Rivers averaged 11.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists for NC State and was named to the All-ACC First Team and All-Defensive Team for the second straight year. Rivers credits her performance this season for legitimizing her as a WNBA draft prospect.
“I feel like I haven’t scratched the surface of the player that I can be, but this season I feel like I took an extra step to get there,” Rivers said. “I was more confident. I took more pride in defense. I ended up getting double-doubles because I finally decided to go in and crash the boards.”
Rivers posted nine double-doubles in 2024-25. She totaled just three double-doubles through her first three seasons.
According to ESPN Stats and Information, Rivers was one of just three players in the Power 4 last season to record 400 points, 200 rebounds, 100 assists, 40 steals and 40 blocks. The others were UConn’s Sarah Strong, the National Freshman of the Year, and JuJu Watkins of USC, the National Player of the Year.
“My collegiate career I can be proud of, but this [season] specifically is the reason that I’m on the call with these [WNBA] coaches and the reason that I’m about to be in the room for draft day,” Rivers said.
Where Rivers’ potential shines as a WNBA prospect is through her defense. Her elite athleticism paired with her long arms has made her an exceptional defensive presence capable of locking up ball handlers, clogging passing lanes and guarding almost every position on the floor.
“She’s maybe the best overall athlete in the draft,” said Chicago Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca during a pre-draft media availability on April 10. “She’s got a lot of length, too. … With length, you can cause some problems with point guards and wings. You’ve got to pay attention to players like that.”
When Rivers was on the floor for NC State this season, the Wolfpack posted a defensive rating of 88.5, according to ESPN Stats and Information. When Rivers came off the floor, that number dropped to 102.4. That -13.9 differential puts Rivers in 97th percentile among Division I players.
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Rivers said her proficiency on the defensive end was born out of necessity.
“When I got to college, I was surrounded by so many players that had to score or wanted to shoot the ball. It just really opened my eyes,” Rivers said. “Everybody can put the ball in the hoop, but what can you do to make yourself stand out?”
There’s a consensus amongst analysts and WNBA front offices that Rivers’ shooting will need to improve at the next level. She shot 41.3% from the field in three years at NC State and 24.9% from 3-point range.
“Her versatility, size – she can get to the rim in one or two dribbles,” ESPN women’s basketball analyst Andraya Carter said. “Obviously some player development will have to happen with her jump shot and just that level of consistency, but her athleticism and ability to defend I think would be huge.”
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Rivers’ desire to succeed at the next level is compounded by a motivation to repay her family for the sacrifices they’ve made along her basketball journey since she started playing the sport at age 5.
“How could I not pursue going to the league?” Rivers said. “[My family] wants to keep seeing me dribble that ball and get what I deserve. I just want to do this for them.”
Rivers’ support system will be in full force in New York, from her mom, dad and three siblings to her grandma, aunt, niece and nephew.
“We’re all going to be color-coordinated, so you won’t even have to guess,” Rivers said. “You’ll know they’re with me.”
Rivers is still juggling with the reality that she’ll be joining a WNBA roster Monday night. After a period where she had filed away this dream, to now be standing in wait for this transformative moment feels surreal.
“Everybody doesn’t get the opportunity that I’m receiving, and I see it as such a blessing,” Rivers said. “I’m going to make the most of it because, obviously, you only get this opportunity once, so I’m going to live it.”