Caitlin Clark got a stern warning from an NBA rookie as Saniya Rivers, after getting drafted to the pro league, had her eyes set on beating the Indiana Fever star.
When asked about any team she would like to face in particular for her rookie year, Rivers had one pick—and even had one specific player in mind she would like to beat.
“Let’s go with Indiana, why not?” Rivers said. “Caitlin Clark, we played them [during our] sophomore year and she almost dropped 50 points. That was the point, we won.I would love the opportunity to match up with her again because I feel like my defense has grown since then. And my confidence has grown.”
Try again. https://t.co/TDjec2ZC5a pic.twitter.com/glCrrYHZcZ
— Brendan Glasheen (@BrendanGlasheen) April 15, 2025
Saniya Rivers gave her serious intent on beating star players like Caitlin Clark and “stepping up” her game.
“I wanna be the player that maybe tries my best to shut down the best players every night… Caitlin’s gonna be Caitlin, she’s gonna hit some shots. But, I’m not gonna get in my head, I’m just gonna keep stepping up. I would love to slow her down a little bit.”
NC State defeated Iowa 94-81 in 2001, despite Caitlin Clark’s heroic performance, scoring 45 points on 16-28 shooting, along with 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Clark’s efforts were not enough to overcome Iowa’s struggles, as the rest of her team failed to provide significant offensive support. On the other side, Saniya Rivers shone for NC State, recording a career-high 22 points and contributing to a balanced team effort that secured the victory.
Caitlin Clark Keeps Draft Viewership Record
The 2025 WNBA Draft has taken place, and while it recorded impressive numbers in terms of viewership, it ultimately failed to exceed the numbers that the 2024 Caitlin Clark draft event managed to pull off.
Caitlin Clark’s draft event in 2024 was a ratings phenomenon, drawing a record-breaking 2.45 million viewers, making it the most-watched WNBA Draft in history. On the other hand, the 2025 draft featuring Paige Bueckers as the overall first pick got 1.25 million viewers in average and peaked at 1.46 million. This meant more than a million fewer viewers compared to last season’s draft.
This level of viewership was seen by analysts and fans alike as an anomaly, driven by Clark’s magnetic appeal and the anticipation surrounding her transition to the WNBA, rather than a testament to Paige Buecker’s level of crowd appeal.
Caitlin Clark continues her preparation for the 2025 WNBA season, where she wil return as a star player for the Indiana Fever.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
