NC State’s Saniya Rivers can win a second title. But first? She has to beat her former team

CLEVELAND — Saniya Rivers is two wins away from doubling her ring collection and adding a second national title to her three-year college resume.

The only problem? The teammates she cut the nets with in 2022 are also taking the floor in Cleveland, but against her this time. As South Carolina returns to the Final Four for the fourth consecutive season, Rivers has flourished elsewhere. The national championship game was the last time she suited up for the Gamecocks; Rivers transferred shortly afterward and now has NC State in the national semifinals for the first time in her lifetime.

A Wilmington, N.C., native, Rivers left South Carolina in part to play closer to her family. But she’s also found her home on the court with the Wolfpack.

Rivers grew up in a basketball family. Her parents played, as did her siblings, so the game was a part of their daily lives. Her grandma bought her a mini hoop when she was 2 years old. Eventually, her parents got her an outdoor hoop, which meant Rivers was outside playing from the moment she got home from school until the street lights came on.

After one year of playing with the Gamecocks, Rivers realized she wanted to be back in her home state and narrowed her list of transfer options to NC State and North Carolina. Being close to the people…