Coming off a four-year run in college, Saniya Rivers found herself selected in the top 10 of the WNBA Draft.

Sun rookie eager to square off against Caitlin Clark

Connecticut Sun guard Saniya Rivers. Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

As she embarks on her pro career, the forward prospect is eager to square off against one of the league’s top talents.

After winning a championship with South Carolina as a freshman, Rivers finished off her college career at NC State. During this time, she had the opportunity to battle Caitlin Clark during her historic run at Iowa.

The eventual No. 1 pick had a big scoring outing against Rivers and NC State, and it’s something she’s never forgotten about.

In her media appearance as a member of the Connecticut Sun, Rivers was asked what teams she is looking forward to playing. She responded with the Indiana Fever and then dove into her previous encounter with Clark.

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“Caitlin Clark, we played them my sophomore year and she almost dropped 50 points,” Rivers said. “So I always said that I would love the opportunity to match up with her again because I feel my defense has grown since then.”

The No. 8 pick then touched on how she prides herself on being a defensive stopper at this stage in her basketball career.

“I want to be the player that maybe tries my best to shut down the best players every night,” Rivers continued. “So she’s the one on that team, so I would love the opportunity to match up.”

After finishing with the third-best record in the league last season, the Sun went through a massive roster turnover this offseason. They’ve leaned toward going younger, with Rivers being one of the newest talents of their core. Based on these comments, she seems ready to make an impact for the Sun on Day 1.