Riggs Provides Bearcats with Exceptional Play as a Defensive Stopper
By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- It's easy for Willamette University women's basketball fans to notice the contributions of Sami Riggs (Sr., G, La Verne, CA/Bonita HS) on offense. She has scored 9.2 points per game this season while earning 2.0 assists per contest. She is eighth in the Northwest Conference with 47.2% field goal shooting and is sinking free throws at 77.8%.
She is a likely starter when the Bearcats take on Whitman College in an NWC Tournament semifinal game at the Sherwood Center in Walla Walla, Washington, on Friday, Feb. 24. Game time is set for 1 p.m. (PST).
The impact of Riggs on defense may not be as obvious as her offensive statistics, but it's a key reason Willamette enters the NWC Tournament with a 14-11 overall record, including 9-7 in the NWC. Some of Riggs' stats -- rebounds, steals, blocked shots -- help fans see her value to the Bearcats on defense, but there's even more to what Riggs brings on defense according to Willamette Head Women's Basketball Coach Peg Swadener.
"Sami is a very competitive athlete who is extremely tough mentally and physically," Swadener commented. "She has embraced the challenge of becoming our defensive stopper, whether it be defending a guard, defending in the post, defending at the top of our zone, or leading our pressure. She has taken pride in being able to deliver with any assignment we give her."
In addition to guarding top players on other teams, Riggs has averaged 4.0 rebounds, 0.9 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game. Over the course of the season, she has recorded 100 rebounds, 23 steals and 17 blocks in 25 games played.
Providing Leadership on Defense
Riggs indicated that being the team's "stopper" fits right into her skills as a basketball player.
"One of my greatest strengths defensively is on-ball defending, and knowing what type of player I am defending," Riggs said. "I try and make sure to know what the other player's tendencies are, whether they are a shooter, driver, or if they like to post up. I will try and guard them in a way that takes away their primary option and have them try plays that make them uncomfortable."
Her physical toughness also provides Riggs with an edge on defense.
"I am also a physical player, which can cause people to become uncomfortable if they don't like contact," Riggs mentioned. "This is what I try to do when I am guarding a post who is bigger than me."
Over the past several years, Swadener has seen Riggs' defensive production increase as she has become a team leader at both ends of the court.
"My defense has improved greatly over my years of playing here," Riggs said. "In my first year playing, I relied on my athleticism rather than being in proper position, which caused me to be a step behind the person I was guarding. I would then try to make up for the lack of positioning by trying to block a shot but I would end up fouling. Over the years, I have learned to do my work early by doing the correct footwork, which helps me get in the proper position."
Swadener agreed about the significant improvement that Riggs has achieved on defense as she has grown into the Willamette program.
"Sami has always been a great defender, but with the graduation of Amanda Carpenter last year, we knew we would need her to step up and play a bigger role on the defensive end," Swadener noted. "She embraced this from day one and has really flourished in that role."
Defensive Success Leads to Offensive Success
Riggs has been able to develop as a defensive player and at the same time remain a key offensive weapon for the Bearcats. She averaged 9.9 points per game as a first-year player in 2019-20. Willamette did not play during the 2020-21 season due to COVID-19 restrictions, but Riggs averaged 8.1 points per contest in 2021-22. During her career, she has scored 673 points. This season, she has set personal highs for field goal percentage and free throw percentage.
"I think my focus on defense and making it important has opened up my flow on offense," Riggs commented. "I used to see myself as mainly an offensive player, so I would put more pressure on myself to score. I would start taking forced shots and stressing about the impact I was making on the game. Now that I have shifted my focus to bringing an impact on defense, it has allowed me to play more freely and let the game come to me."
Riggs combined efforts at both ends of the court have impressed Swadener and inspired her teammates.
"Sami has always been an impactful offensive player for us," Swadener noted. "The fact that she has stepped up her role as a defender and rebounder, while continuing to bring it offensively is truly impressive. Her ability to be our defensive stopper while having to be our rim-run on transition every possession for 31 minutes a game takes an incredible amount of fitness and mental toughness."
Focusing on Defense and Impacting each Game
There have been many games when Riggs has been pleased with both her own efforts and the team's efforts on defense. Willamette is an impressive 13-0 this season when holding opponents to fewer than 60 points.
"One of the things I enjoy most about playing defense is when I start to see the other team having to work harder than they are used to," Riggs said. "When I see opposing players, especially the best players, start to get tired or frustrated during the game, I know I am impacting their game in some way. Even if they do score, but it took them a lot more work than usual, I know that it will be hard for them to last the entirety of the game.
"Also, when they are working harder on the offensive end, they won't want to play defense, and it will help us offensively," Riggs added.
Riggs has become a team leader and she is a valuable part of Willamette's team, which includes just four graduating seniors. Nearly all of Willamette's other players are competing in their first or second year of collegiate basketball. Even the players who are juniors academically have played only two years because COVID-19 wiped out the 2020-21 season for the Bearcats.
"Sami has set the standard for energy and toughness for us this year," Swadener stated. "She demands a lot of herself, and while she has led by example in the years past, she has definitely stepped up as a leader beyond that with this group. With our group of young players, this was tremendously helpful as we developed our team identity through the season."
Remembering a Special Weekend of Back-to-Back Road Games
Earlier this season, Riggs was pleased with how well she played in back-to-back games at George Fox University and Lewis & Clark College.
"I felt pretty proud of the weekend where we played both George Fox and Lewis and Clark on the road," Riggs said. "My match-ups for both games were about opposite from one another. Against Fox I was typically guarding a more post-like player, and the next night against Lewis and Clark, I had a tough match-up against one of the quickest guards in the conference. She is a great scorer and I knew I had to limit her touches as a way to keep her from finding any kind of rhythm. I was able to make it tough on her offensively all night and was able to keep her below her scoring average. That weekend was pretty memorable because as a team we were able to come away with two big wins, and it was fun being able to defend two completely different types of players."
A Complete Approach to the Entire Basketball Court
The complete approach to the game that has been developed by Riggs at both ends of the court has made Willamette's coaching staff very proud. They appreciate her strengths as well as her willingness to do whatever will benefit the team.
"I continue to be impressed daily with Sami's versatility," Swadener affirmed. "Many people think defense is just effort, which a large part is, but Sami has taken it to the next level with her ability to adjust and make corrections possession by possession. People have no idea how difficult that is, and the mental toughness it takes to stay in the moment like that. She has absolutely maximized her impact with us this year and has been a vital part of our success this season.
"Sami's gifts as an athlete are her toughness and her motor," Swadener continued. "Combine those qualities with her athleticism and speed and it allows her to play much bigger than she is. It has been really fun to see her develop her basketball skills through the years and I've been so happy to see her make the impact she has had on the floor this year. She's truly been a special player to coach."
Although Riggs has provided the Bearcats with a lot of effort, intensity, leadership, and success over the past four years, she also has been impacted in a positive way by her teammates.
"I have loved being a part of the team every year. They are all family to me and I will cherish all the memories and relationships that I have made with everyone," Riggs stated. "I love when everything is clicking and coming together. I love when we play tough defense and get multiple stops in a row, which then gives us energy and confidence to go down to the other end and score. Its always a good feeling when the energy rises on a scoring run, causing the other team to have to call a timeout.