Subscribe
Follow Us
Connecticut Sun rookie Saniya Rivers made her WNBA debut during the May 20 game against the Las Vegas Aces after missing the preseason and first regular-season contest. The No. 8 overall pick in this year's draft took time away to stay with her family after the recent passing of her mother, and she bravely stated the emotions she was carrying with her after the game.
“Losing my mom has been the toughest thing I've ever faced in my life, and I'm playing for her,” Rivers began. “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,” Rivers choked out as she held back tears. “The coaching staff, they've been so consistent and understanding and loving, and you'll never meet another staff that's [as] compassionate, as understanding, as caring as them, as supportive as them.
“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 in with the program that will care for me, look over me, and help me in any shape or form. So I'm just grateful,” Rivers concluded as her mood lightened and a smile returned to her face.
“Losing my mom has been the toughest thing I've ever faced in my life, and I'm playing for her. … This night meant the world to me because this is what she wanted for me.”
Saniya Rivers on her WNBA debut and the support from her team 🧡 pic.twitter.com/3HXgXtWkfV
Rivers then described how much the Sun organization and her new teammates came through for her.
“I've been trying not to cry, like, all day,” Rivers started before taking a long pause. When she continued, she described the way her Sun teammates held her up on the hardest days. “They've done so much for me, on and off the court. I wasn't with them for like two weeks, and Tina alone [checked] in on me every single day. And it's just amazing, she didn't have to.
“You hear stories about other teams, and you just don't know how it's going to be [between] a rookie and a vet, and the fact that she just stepped up and played like a big sister role, it just really motivated me.”
Rivers put up a solid 11 points, four rebounds, and two assists in her first outing with the Sun despite the team's 87-62 loss to the Aces. Connecticut will be back in action May 23 on the road at the Minnesota Lynx, giving Rivers another chance to shine while honoring her mom.
