Chicago Sky GM makes bold claim about Saniya Rivers' athletic prowess in stacked 2025 WNBA draft class

Chicago Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca had good things to say about Saniya Rivers, a North Carolina State Wolfpack guard set to enter the 2025 WNBA draft.

After a four-year college career in which she went from being a bench player on the South Carolina Gamecocks to establishing herself as a starter at North Carolina State, Rivers turned some heads.

Pagliocca didn't mince words when praising Rivers' traits, as he highlighted on Thursday how impactful the senior guard can be for any team in the W.

"She can probably handle one, two, three, a little bit of four at times, she's got a lot of length. Maybe the best overall athlete in the draft and she's got a lot of length too.

"She's proving she can guard multiple positions, which always matters in our league, because you can cause some problems with point guard-wings. So you got to pay attention to players like that," Pagliocca said.

The Chicago Sky were linked with another guard ahead of the 2025 draft, Sonia Citron of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Citron is also a solid defender, but Saniya Rivers, as Pagliocca stated, has the body and ability to guard more than one position at a top level.

The Sky added Courtney Vandersloot in free agency and either Citron or Rivers would give them a boost on both ends of the ball. The 2021 WNBA champion has many options to pick from in the upcoming draft, but it seems as though Pagliocca has a favorite.

Where could Saniya Rivers land in the 2025 WNBA draft?

With the Chicago Sky sending the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft to the Washington Mystics, they now own the No. 10 selection in the first round. If the Sky don't select Rivers, she could be an intriguing option for the LA Sparks at No. 9 or the Minnesota Lynx at No. 11.

Saniya Rivers averaged 9.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.0 blocks per game, shooting 39.5% from the field and 67.9% from the free-throw line.

There are aspects of her game that need some polishing, but Rivers could become a dual threat once she unlocks her potential. Developing under Tyler Marsh would do wonders for her, but the Sky isn't the only team that would benefit from drafting this talent.