Ashley’s Saniya Rivers commits to South Carolina

May 29, 2020, 7:25 pm | by Tim Hower

The decision has been made.

Ashley standout girls basketball player Saniya Rivers announced her commitment to South Carolina on Saturday afternoon via her social media accounts.

The 6-foot guard joins a Gamecocks program under the direction of six-time WNBA All-Star and three-time gold medalist Dawn Staley. South Carolina has become one of the nation’s top programs under Staley’s guidance, reaching the Sweet 16 seven times and the Final Four twice. They claimed the national title in 2017 and were ranked No. 1 in the country with a 32-1 record before the season was canceled in March.

Ashley’s Saniya Rivers announced her commitment to South Carolina on Saturday. [Tim Hower/Coastal Preps]

Rivers, who is ranked as the No. 2 recruit in the class of 2021 by All Star Girls Report and No. 3 by ESPN HoopGurlz, previously released a list of her top 12 schools on Aug. 31, 2019. It also included Duke, Florida State, Indiana, Maryland, N.C. A&T, N.C. State, Notre Dame, Tennessee, UConn , UNC and UNCW.

Rivers became the second player of the 2021 class to commit to the Gamecocks. Aubryanna Hall, a 5-foot-11 guard from Wayne High School in Ohio made her announcement Monday.

In her first season at Ashley, Rivers averaged 25 points, 11.7 rebounds, 6.3 steals, 4.2 assists and 2 blocks and was named the N.C. Gatorade Player of the Year for the second straight season. She helped the Screaming Eagles go 25-5 and reach the fourth round of the 4A playoffs for just the second time in school history. They were unbeaten in the Mideastern Conference for the first time in school history and won the conference tournament title for the first time since 2012.

Rivers began her high school career at Laney and helped the Buccaneers go 56-5 overall and 27-1 in the conference. Through three seasons, she has scored 1,919 points (494 as a freshman, 701 as a sophomore and 724 as a junior) and compiled a career record of 81-10. Rivers is on pace to become only the 16th girls basketball player in the history of the N.C. High School Athletic Association to surpass 2,500 points.