Saniya Rivers to transfer to NC State women's basketball
As first reported by Mike Robinson of TheBallOut.com, NC State women’s basketball coach Wes Moore landed a significant transfer addition. Former blue chip prospect and South Carolina freshman wing Saniya Rivers announced her verbal commitment to the Wolfpack Thursday afternoon.
Rivers is a product of Ashley High in Wilmington, N.C., and was rated the No. 3 prospect in the country in the 2021 class by ESPN. She will become the second in her family to play for NC State women’s basketball. Her step-sister Nanna Rivers played for the Wolfpack from 2001-04 and professionally overseas.
As a freshman, the 6-foot-1 Saniya Rivers averaged 2.3 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 12.9 minutes in 27 games for the national champion Gamecocks. One game that Rivers did not play in was the season opener at NC State, which South Carolina won. Her best performance may have been in a home victory over No. 12 Tennessee, when Rivers had seven points, four assists and two rebounds in 20 minutes.
On a loaded South Carolina squad, Rivers played the third most among the reserves.
Saniya Rivers Would Be Third Transfer Addition
After Rivers picked NC State, Moore has made three additions from the transfer portal.
Former Maryland forward Mimi Collins was first to commit.
The 6-foot-3 Collins, a native of Slidell, La., will have two seasons of eligibility remaining for NC State women’s basketball.
Collins is a former McDonald’s All-American that started her career at Tennessee, averaging 5.5 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.
She then transferred to Maryland, where as a redshirt sophomore in 2020-21 (when eligibility was frozen) Collins was named honorable mention All-Big Ten. She averaged 10.6 points and 6.2 rebounds while shooting 52.1 percent from the field that year.
Collins started this past season on fire for the Terrapins, averaging 15.2 points and 7.8 rebounds through six games. Nagging injuries and the emergence of Maryland forward Angel Reese cut into Collins’ playing time and production, and she finished the year contributing 7.9 points and 4.8 rebounds.
Former Florida State center River Baldwin also is transferring to NC State, joining Rivers and Collins. She also has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Baldwin, like Rivers and Collins, is a former McDonald’s All-American. In her career at Florida State, the 6-foot-5 center averaged 5.3 points and 4.0 rebounds over 82 games.
Baldwin started 18 games and appeared in 31 last season for Florida State, averaging 18.2 minutes per contest. She contributed 6.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest and also blocked 20 shots. She shot 54.5 percent from the field.
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