“Sending Prayers”: Saniya Rivers Heartbroken as College Basketball Community Mourns After WNBA Star’s Tragic Loss

“She’s (Saniya Rivers) maybe the best overall athlete in the draft,” said Chicago Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca during a pre-draft media availability. She was selected by the Connecticut Sun with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft. Rivers was a prolific college athlete, appearing in 128 games before moving on to the absolute top.

She nearly cast away basketball as a career choice in college as she was struggling with the mental aspect of the game. “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.’” She has come a long way since then. It was all looking good for the former NC State guard, but tragedy struck the youngster.

At the tender age of 22, Rivers has lost probably the most important person in her life, as her mother has passed away. Her mother, Dee Dee Toon Rivers, played basketball in college at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. She was one of the reasons Rivers took up the sport. Understandably so, fans are distraught too and are sending prayers and condolences from wherever they are. Losing your mother at any time is a disastrous loss, but it becomes amplified when you are at your highest in your career, like Saniya. Let’s see how the fans have reacted to this news.

Basketball Fans devastated as Saniya Rivers loses her mother

Saniya has achieved her lifelong dream of becoming a professional basketball player. The trophies, the sold-out jerseys, the roaring fans — everything she works for is finally hers. Yet, one thing will be missing. Her mother won’t be there to share it with her. The woman who drives her to early practices and believes in her when no one else does is gone. Though Saniya stands tall as a WNBA star, she is human after all. Fame doesn’t shield her from grief, and fans sharing that grief are rallying behind their favorite superstar.

“Saniya Rivers losing her mom during her rookie year is truly heartbreaking. She’s going through so much during such a big moment in her life,”one X user said. Rookie year is probably the most important year in any player’s career. You are still a baby with respect to your peers and going through such a loss can break you. “Sending condolences to Saniya Rivers and family,” another user wrote. The whole family acts as a support system for a player; Rivers couldn’t have reached where she is without her family. This is a time where her family needs her the most and vice versa.

“omg that’s awful. it’s an indescribable pain. i’m glad that she was able to see her be drafted tho!”,a reddit user wrote. It is a silver lining that she at least got to see her beloved daughter on that podium. She got to see what she had become. It gives you a slight comfort. “what a gift for Saniya to have those memories and how heartbreaking Mom won’t get to see the professional star her daughter becomes :(” another Reddit user wrote. It is with a heavy heart Rivers will have to step on the court, her biggest support system just gone. Let’s hope Rivers will continue playing her best game; that is what her mother would want, for her daughter to be as good as she can possibly be.