Saniya Rivers wrapped up her rookie year with the Connecticut Sun in her own way—flashy off the court, fearless on it. On Monday she hopped on Instagram with a bold story and a caption that summed up her vibe:
“Will forever be that b***h,” she wrote, adding a fire emoji.
The fit matched the energy. Greenish-brown jacket, nothing underneath, chest tattoos on display, high-waisted pants, shades, and a green Yankees cap. A dark bag in hand tied it all together.
But the rookie wasn’t just serving looks. She also rewrote the Sun record books, knocking down more threes than any other first-year in franchise history. In one late-season game against Atlanta, she put up 16 points, hit a pair from deep, and stuffed the stat sheet with boards, dimes, and a block.
The Sun didn’t make the postseason, finishing 11–33, but Saniya Rivers carved out a bright spot. She averaged 8.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.5 steals. Not bad for a first year in a rebuild.
“She’s my life coach”: How Saniya Rivers leaned on family during tough times
What people didn’t always see was the struggle behind the smile. Just weeks after being drafted, Saniya Rivers lost her mother.
“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,” she told The Next.
To stay grounded, Rivers leaned on her sister—“She’s my life coach”—along with a therapist and a mentor. Even her cat, Masego, played his part, always nearby on the couch after tough nights.
So while the Sun rebuild continues, Rivers already gave them something: energy, resilience, and a rookie year that showed she belongs.
For more basketball content, click on Hardwood Heroics. Sabel Reyes can be reached through sabelreyes22@gmail.com. Other websites under the Sports Heroics umbrella are Gridiron Heroics and Wisconsin Heroics.
Sabel has been working as a field reporter for People’s Television Network (PTV), mainly about the Philippine Basketball Association since 2016 and has been elevated to Executive Producer for sports in 2022. Aside from being on top of the Philippine sports scene, she is also a running enthusiast. You can also follow her on X at @SabelReyes2 and Instagram at @msabelreyes.
