Saniya Rivers has jersey retired by Ashley

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) — No one will ever where number 22 for Ashley girls basketball again.

The program held a ceremony for alumna Saniya Rivers to retire her jersey on Friday.

Rivers graduated from Ashley in 2021 and was the Gatorade National Player of the Year while with the Eagles.

During her college career, Rivers won a national championship at South Carolina before leading N.C. State to the Final Four. She was selected eighth overall in the 2025 WNBA draft by the Connecticut Sun.

While she’s accomplished basically all she can at this point of her career, Rivers says Ashley bestowing this honor ranks highly among the others.

“I’m just blessed to say that I made it,” Rivers said. “I know that it’s not very common for females to make it pro from Wilmington, North Carolina. I’m just blessed to show young girls and young boys that they can do it. I’m just blessed to be one of the ones paving the way. Ashley, they gave me a second chance. When I got displaced from Hurricane Florence, I was at Laney. Coach Gale, she brought me on the team. It’s just been uphill ever since, going on a couple of playoff runs. She’s one of the reasons that I’m where I am today. She took a chance on me. Watered me, instilled a lot into me. I’m just overall grateful.”