​UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Saniya Rivers, a guard for the Connecticut Sun, sprained her left ankle during the matchup with the Minnesota Lynx on Wednesday night, forcing her to leave the court in a wheelchair in the second quarter. Rivers drove to the basket, but Lynx forward Nia Coffey blocked her shot, and Rivers landed awkwardly on her left foot, rolling her ankle so severely that her shoe came off. Trainers and several teammates rushed to her side as she lay on the baseline in visible pain, and she was eventually escorted off the floor with a towel draped over her head. The Sun later announced that Rivers would not return to the game.
Rivers was selected eighth overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft out of North Carolina State. This season she has made 12 starts among her 21 appearances for the Sun, contributing as a rotational guard for Connecticut.
The Sun were already thin, playing without star center Brittney Griner due to a strained left quadriceps and forward Aneesah Morrow for personal reasons, which left Connecticut without three of their top five scorers as Rivers exited. On the other side, the Lynx were missing their own top rookie point guard, Olivia Miles, for a second straight game because of a strained right calf.
The game continued with the Sun shorthanded as Rivers’ injury overshadowed another tense moment on the floor. As teams regrouped and adjusted, Connecticut faced the challenge of adjusting their lineup on the fly while evaluating the severity of Rivers’ ankle sprain and the potential impact on their rotation moving forward. The injury updates were awaited as the Sun navigated the remainder of the game without one of their young presences and the Lynx pressed on with their extended roster plans in the absence of Miles.
Further details on Rivers’ condition and prognosis were to be provided by the team as the season progressed. The league’s noted developments and official statements would follow, with WNBA fans and analysts monitoring the situation for implications to Connecticut’s depth at the guard position and how this injury might affect their upcoming schedule. For continued coverage and updates from AP WNBA reporting, refer to the AP News hub dedicated to WNBA coverage.