James, Rivers Earn Spots on Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Year Midseason Watch List
2/3/2025 3:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
RALEIGH, N.C. – NC State women's basketball guard duo Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers have earned spots on the Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Year Midseason Watch List, as presented by the United States Basketball Writers Association on Monday. James and Rivers are two of 50 players on the list.
NC State is one of seven schools with two recipients on the list and one of three in the ACC with two or more recipients (Notre Dame and Georgia Tech the other two). James and Rivers are two of the 10 recipients from an ACC school.
James leads the Pack in scoring with 16.9 points per game and 43 total 3-pointers. She is shooting 44.6 percent from the field, 32.8 percent from 3-point and 79.2 percent from the free throw line, while adding 4.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game. James has logged double digits in scoring in all but one game this season, previously having a 29-game streak scoring at least 10 points in a game, and has earned nine 20+ point games this season.
This season, James scored a season-high 27 points off the bench at TCU and logged six 3-pointers to tally 22 points against Pittsburgh. She has three near double-doubles, including 20 points and nine rebounds vs. Kent State, a game where she surpassed 1,000 career points and now sits at No. 26 on the all-time career scoring list (1,317). James was also named on the Wooden Award Top 25 Midseason Watch List and a USBWA National Player of the Week (Jan. 21).
Rivers has continued to play an impact on both sides of the ball, averaging 12.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. She leads the team in steals and blocks and has logged a 43.6 percentage from the field. Rivers has 14 double-digit scoring games, four double-doubles and four 3+ steal games. She has led the team in rebounding in six different contests, including in her 14-point, 13 rebound double-double at Louisville.
Rivers tallied a season-high 25 points with 11 rebounds against Davidson, when she went in takeover mode in the fourth quarter of that game with 12 of her 25 points. She logged 23 points and 11 rebounds against Boston College and then surpassed 1,000 career points against Virginia Tech after logging 17 in that game.
Since the 1987-88 season, the USBWA has named a women's National Player of the Year. At the conclusion of the regular season, the USBWA will name finalists for the 2025 Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Year and Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Year. Both awards will be announced and presented at the USBWA's annual awards event on site at the NCAA Women's Final Four in Tampa.
