NC State coach Wes Moore excited about Aziaha James, Saniya Rivers in WNBA rookie seasons

For the first time in their careers, Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers found themselves in opposite starting lineups of each other last Friday. The two former NC State star guards formed one of the more-formidable duos in all of women’s college basketball over the last two seasons, so there appeared to be a sense of joy inside Mohegan Sun Arena.

Rivers and James, two players known for their outgoing personalities, made sure to put that on display beforehand with their signature pregame handshake. But when it was time to put their respective jerseys on, that friendship was put on pause — at least for the 40 minutes of game time.

James and the Dallas Wings got the better of Rivers and the Connecticut Sun in an 86-83 result on that summer night, as the former dropped a season-best 17 points with five rebounds and five assists on 5-of-7 shooting. 

While Wolfpack coach Wes Moore watched from home, he couldn’t keep from hiding his beaming smile.

“Unbelievable,” Moore said recently. “It’s pretty neat to look out there and actually see them guarding each other a little bit.”

Moore, who regretted not finding a way to get to the game in person, is like a proud parent watching the two in their next step of their basketball careers. The duo became the first in NC State history to go in the first round together as Rivers went eighth and James was 12th.

The Wolfpack’s star duo wasn’t just the first in team history to accomplish that feat, but NC State was the only program to produce two WNBA first rounders this year. While it’s something the likes of South Carolina and UConn have become accustomed to, Moore is looking to use the draft success as a recruiting tool for the future. 

“We’re trying to utilize that as a factor and hopefully point out them and the other players that have come through here as well and improved a lot,” Moore said. “Maybe they weren’t all the top players in the country coming out of high school, but they’ve been able to have success professionally.”

Since making their WNBA debuts, both James and Rivers have been able to carve out roles on their respective teams during their rookie campaigns. 

James was a lightly-used reserve to start the season, but has played at least 17 minutes in the last five games — including three straight with 24 or more. She’s averaging 5.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.5 steals playing alongside WNBA No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers in Dallas. 

Rivers, meanwhile, has been a routine starter for the Sun. She has appeared in 13 games with 10 starts, averaging 7.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 block as her stat-sheet stuffing days from her NC State career have continued at the professional level. 

Both All-ACC selections reached the pinnacle of professional women’s basketball together, but their routes to the moment were wildly different. Moore seemed to find pride in that as he played an integral part in both of their paths to this point. 

For Rivers, the No. 3 player in the 2021 recruiting class, it was about finding the right fit. She went to South Carolina as a freshman, playing 13 minutes a night as a reserve on the Gamecocks’ national-championship winning team. The talent was there, and Moore helped guide Rivers to get more out of her before turning professional.

“Saniya, when she came in here, … she was one of the top players in the country,” Moore said. “The length, athleticism and she worked hard to develop other skills, especially her three-point shooting. She’s got an unbelievable jump shot, so you knew for her, it would be a fairly-easy transition from here to the pro level.”

James, however, is a different case study. She was stuck on the bench as a freshman, waiting her turn to make a splash in Raleigh. By the time her junior year arrived, she did just that with 16.8 points a night in the 2023-24 campaign with a career-best 17.9 points a game this past season. 

Hard work allowed James to become a key cog in NC State’s system, including leading the Wolfpack to the 2024 Final Four. Moore believed she would have to work through the transition to the WNBA just like she did in her freshman and sophomore years at NC State. But soon enough, it all clicked.

“To see what she’s done, now she’s getting her confidence and mojo going,” Moore said. “I talked to the Dallas general manager a week ago and I think they see it coming now. I’m excited for her.”

Now, as Moore has watched two critical pieces of his program’s talent turnover, which led to a Final Four and Sweet 16 appearance in the last two seasons, he can’t help but smile at what they’ve become.

“I’m proud of both of them,” Moore said. “It’s so awesome. To see both of them excelling and doing well, it’s pretty cool. I couldn’t be happier for them. It’s an exciting time for them.”