2025 WNBA Draft: N.C. State’s Saniya Rivers and Aziaha James could both be high picks, experts say

Just before the buzzer signaled the end of their game in Reynold’s Coliseum, North Carolina State head coach Wes Moore walked to the couch where Asiah beat the back in a short but warm hug.

In recent years, the defensive -duo Moore had helped to win many competitions and given NC State fans who consistently sold out the historic location in Raleigh to cheer. The second round NCAA Tournament victory on Michigan State was the 23rd consecutive home victory for the Wolfpack in Reynolds, which marked the longest home -winning series in program history. Because they were the floor on March 24, the emotions that James and Rivers went were clear. James shot tears and blew kisses on the crowd, while Rivers jump around with members of the band while holding a big smile.

For many of those competitions in Raleigh this season, there was always a chair or two reserved for an explorer or coach of a WNBA team. James and rivers were often printed for them-as James were 36 points in the lap against Duke, or when rivers flirt with triple doubles in victories over Notre Dame and Michigan State.

On Monday evening people will find out for South Justse, many WNBA teams were blinded by the Wolfpack duo. Rivers and James have invited Ben to attend the concept in New York, making NC State only one of the two teams to have invited several players for this year’s selection show. The other is South Carolina.

Together in the last handful of years, Rivers and James have written a lot of history for NC State. As a first-year students, James was in a team that won the regular season and tournament titles of the ACC. Rivers arrived as a second -year transfer from South Carolina, and as juniors the duo – together with Madison Hayes, River Baldwin, Mimi Collins and Zoe Brooks – the Wolfpack flowed to the last four. It was only the second time in the NC State program history went on to the national semi -final and the first time under Moore. Last season, the Wolfpack Co-Regular Seasonal Champions of the ACC and went on to Sweet 16, which marked the sixth time in the last seven tournaments they went so far.

They get the chance to write more history on Monday evening. If Eithher is selected in the first round of the design, they will only be the third NC State Player Coachet of Moore as a first round, who joined Markeisha Gatling and Kiara Leslie.

If both are taken in the first round, it is the first time ever that two NC -Staat players have been chosen in the opening round. It will also make it the first time since 2007 that several Wolfpack products were picked in the same design.

Based on what people around the WNBA say, there is a real opportunity that Bath James and rivers hear their names in the Cplest 12 picks.

“Both are just really exciting players that I think are exams from where the game is going. Both incredibly athletic, Boble to go up and down and play with speed, Bib Uble to play a few different functions,” said Washington Mystics General Manager Jamila Wideman. “I think Bown of them is an example of the kind of versatile exterior talent that we are just starting to see exist and spread over the NCAA, and we are at the point of seeing how talent comes in our competition.”

ESPN’s Andray Carter Added: “I think those two – they intrigue in different ways, but yes, bush vray penetration prospects.”

Photo by Jared C. Tiltton/Getty Images

Of the two players, Rivers Sems is the prospect that is more compony, but also more unknown. Her potential sems unlimited, and her lanky 6-foot-1 frame is exactly what pro-coaches are looking for in a large guard. Over the years at NC State, Rivers has shown the opportunity to defend players of all sizes, reach the edge whenever she wants and to eliminate slippery steps for assists. This season she had an average of 11.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocks per match.

The resident of Wilmington, North Carolina was a real Swiss-Army-Mes player, who did a little bit of everything and filled the Stat sheet for the Wolfpack. In the second round of NC State on the state of Michigan, Rivers placed a Stat line that no other division I player -man or woman -you had in a NCAA tournament game this century: 17 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

If there is a criticism of rivers, it is that her 3-point shooting needs work. Although it has been improved step by step every year that she has been to university, this season it peaked at 27.2 percent. Also worrying, her career is 67.9 percent success rate of the charity.

But WNBA decisions do not seem to be too confused. She is a dynamic defense, you have an excellent vision and is a pure athlete with a high ceiling.

“She could probably use the probability (defend) 1 to 3, a little 4 occasionally. She drops a lot of length,” said Chicago Sky General Manager Jeff Jeff Pagliocca. “Perhaps the best athlete, overall athlete, in the design. She is about to monitor multiple positions, which are always important in our competition.”

Rivers finished her career at NC State with two All-Accel First Team and two accorde team selections, a battery Sixth Player of the Year Award as a second-year student, and rank in the top 15 in program history in assists, steals and blocks seasons.

“I spoke with an A -Fem different GMs and coaches, just how athletic she is, her ability to defend versatile, she can reach the edge in one or two dribbles,” says Carter. “I think the style she plays, the athletics – of course, should happen the development of the aduler with her Jumphot and that level of consistentity – but her athletics alone and her ability to defend, I think, would hug.”

Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty images

From a development and potential perspective, James is the Lesso seductive prospect of the two, but she has announced what she can have on the basketball court during her four-year eyes. This season, James placed career-bests in points (17.9) and rebounds (4.9) per game, while she also shoots at career-high 44.5 percent of the floor.

James also developed to play well for playing well in large games. Of her 10 highest scoring performances at the university, eight of them were against ACC opponents or came in the late season. Seven of those matches were played at home in Reynolds, and nine of them were victories. Two of the three times she was at the top of the 30-point mark, came in matches against Tobacco Road Rival Duke.

“Those guards just have an incredible reach,” said LSU coach Kim Mulkey about the defense half of NC State.

The 5-foot-10-lifty of Virginia Beach that you have adjusted as during 3-point and free throw shooter in the past two seasons, you have shown more effort in defense and rebound, and her combination of poor speed, smooth handle and a silky Jumphot makes her difficult to monitor. She can quickly fill the scoreboard and her peak reel is filled with plays in which she breaks ankles and surprises spirits. She is a cunning finisher and a pure bucket-getter who leaves defenders stunned.

James Will Department is as a two-time All-Accel First Team Honoe and Sumone that this season nods honorable mention All-American of the Associated Press, USBWA and WBCA this season. She was played in the eighth of all time in games for the Wolfpack and Sevent All Time made in 3-Pointers.

It is unclear where she is in making moments that the crowd made in Reynolds Roar, but one of her most memorable plays was her transition in the extension against Notre Dame this season, where she turned the ball around her back before she sinked a bucket over Olivia Miles.

“She can come on a stove,” Carter said about James. “She is a microwave scorer, to confident scorer.

Spokane, Washington was where the collegial careers of rivers and James ended in a Sweet 16 -loss for LSU. In the press conference after the game, however, there were more laughter than tears when the duo and Madison Hayes think about their time in NC State with Wes Moore.

Before they left the stage, their acts in NC State uniforms put around Moore for a postgame selfie, which generated a big smile from the 67-Yare-OC coach, even after a seasonal defeat.

“It is clear that they have had an incredible impact on the field as far as our ability to win,” said Moore. “But just outside the field. That.”

When James and rivers hear their names on Monday evening, it is a guarantee that their university coach will wear the greatest grin and cheer the loudest. And he just gets the chance to do it twice in the first round.