By
Jason Erickson
Once a week in a church gym in Leeds, England,
AJ Riggs would find a basketball and a rim. It was never about perfect conditions. It was about staying connected to the game he loved, even while his focus was somewhere higher.
"I'd shoot for about an hour on our day off," Riggs said. "That was really the only basketball I got for two years. But it kept the fire alive."
Riggs left Gilbert, Arizona, to serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Leeds. The experience changed him. He learned patience, perspective, and humility, returning home more mature and more grounded than ever. He also came home to uncertainty. After two years away, recruiting had quieted. Offers were gone.
"A lot of people didn't think I'd play again," Riggs said. "But I couldn't let that be the end of my story."
Late that summer, a call came from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. The offer arrived just weeks before the fall semester began. Riggs packed his bags and went all in.
At first, he was not sure where he would fit in the rotation. Then opportunity came when a teammate went down with an injury and another got sick. Riggs stepped in and never looked back.
"I just told myself, don't waste it," he said. "I got my shot, and I took full advantage of it."
He quickly became one of the most efficient players in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, helping lead Fort Lewis to the RMAC Tournament semifinals. Riggs averaged 6.1 points in 12 minutes per game, shooting 49.5 percent from the field, 45.2 percent from three, and 90.9 percent from the free-throw line. The numbers reflected both his preparation and his poise.
"That year gave me confidence that I could play at the Division I level," he said.
That confidence, faith, and timing eventually brought him to Utah Valley. His wife, Natalie Riggs, was already here, setting for the Wolverines volleyball team and excelling both on and off the court.
Natalie is a three-time Academic All-WAC selection. She currently ranks fifth all time in career service aces and tenth in assists with 1,200. She recorded her 100th career ace against Montana, set a career-high five aces against Boise State, and finished with 21 assists against Tarleton State to help UVU sweep the Texans. Off the court, she is preparing for a career in Occupational Therapy, a path that mirrors the compassion and focus she brings to competition.
"She's one of the hardest workers I know," AJ said. "We understand each other because we both know what it takes to compete at this level."
Their story began years earlier at Highland High School in Gilbert, Arizona, the same program that produced one of the greatest players in Utah Valley history, Jake Toolson. Toolson was a WAC Player of the Year, an AP All-America Honorable Mention, and one of the most efficient scorers in the nation in 2018–19.
"I remember watching Jake when I was a kid," AJ said. "He was the guy everyone looked up to. I always wanted to play like him."
When Riggs chose his college number, there was no question. He wore No. 5, the same number Toolson made famous at Highland and at Utah Valley. "It is cool now to wear the same number and be part of the same program he helped build," Riggs said.
After their missions, AJ and Natalie reconnected. He had served in Leeds. She had served in Denver. They had both grown up, and the timing felt right. The proposal matched the moment. A helicopter flew Natalie to a remote spot in the Superstition Mountains where AJ was waiting. He set up the proposal overlooking desert peaks few people ever see. When she stepped out, everything was ready.
"It was perfect," Natalie said.
They married on May 9, 2025, in the Gilbert Arizona Temple. Not long after, the Utah Valley opportunity opened for AJ. To Natalie, the timing spoke for itself.
"It was a direct answer to prayer," she said. "For both of us to be here at Utah Valley, doing what we love, felt like everything lined up for a reason."
Now they share life as Division I athletes, balancing classes, practices, and competition while supporting each other's goals. "We usually practice around the same time," AJ said. "We are always around each other. It is just fun to be in this together."
Their bond reflects the same foundation that fuels AJ's journey, faith, gratitude, and purpose. From shooting once a week in a church gym in Leeds to earning his shot at Fort Lewis to finding a home in Orem, Riggs has learned that opportunity comes to those who stay ready.
"Sometimes you just have to be patient," he said. "If you keep working and keep believing, things fall into place."
Natalie sees it the same way.
"He is exactly where he is supposed to be," she said. "AJ has a quiet belief that if you put God first and give everything you have, the rest will work out. And it always does."
For
AJ Riggs, this chapter at Utah Valley is more than basketball. It is faith rewarded, a dream rekindled, and a story that keeps unfolding with the person who makes it all feel complete.
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