Riley Donovan

Riley Donovan (#57) wasn’t supposed to make it this far. She didn’t come from a flashy program or a basketball family with connections. She came from a small town in Ohio, where her first real competition was her two older brothers in their driveway. They never took it easy on her, knocking her around, blocking her shots, and making her fight for every bucket. It toughened her up, made her scrappy, and taught her to play through contact. In college, she wasn’t a star—just a solid, dependable player on a mid-major team. No scouts came knocking. No draft buzz. But she wasn’t done with the game. She took a long shot, walking into an open tryout for the Zephyrs, knowing the odds were slim. What got her through? The same thing that kept her going against her brothers—she never backed down. She made the roster, but as a deep bench player. Riley didn’t sulk. She made herself useful—hustling in practice, keeping energy high on the bench, and earning the respect of her teammates. Denise Ng liked her work ethic. Tierra Jackson liked that she didn’t complain. Even Coach Langston, tough to impress, saw something in her. Then came the slump. Mikayla Thornton, the starting shooting guard, hit a rough patch—turnovers, missed shots, bad reads. A few losses later, Coach Langston made the call. “Riley, you’re in.” She didn’t overthink it. Just played like she always had—hard-nosed defense, smart passes, taking the right shots. By the end of the game, she wasn’t just a backup anymore. She belonged. Walking off the court, Denise clapped her on the back. “Told you you’d get your shot.” Riley smirked. “Yeah. Now let’s see if I can keep it.”