Big Ten champion UCLA has jumped back to No. 1 in The Associated Press women's basketball poll. The Bruins, who spent 12 weeks atop the poll, received 16 first-place votes to go from fourth to first.

Sakima Walker, like Johnson, also has the opportunity to come back for another season with the Gamecocks. Walker started her career at Rutgers in 2020-2021 and was there for two seasons before transferring to a junior college for the 2022-23 season. Walker transferred to South Carolina last season, making this her fifth year of college basketball.