Former Gamecocks WBB player Sakima Walker transferring to ACC school
A former Gamecock has found a new home in the ACC.
South Carolina women’s basketball transfer Sakima Walker has committed to Cal and will play her final season of college basketball with the Golden Bears in 2025-26.
“Trusting God’s plan EVERY step of the way,” Walker wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) announcing her commitment Saturday. “Grateful for where I’ve been, excited for where i’m going. #GoBears #thisonespersonal.”
Walker had entered the transfer portal on April 8 after playing two seasons for coach Dawn Staley and USC. She started one game for the Gamecocks and was a deep bench player and veteran leader during her time in Columbia.
Sakima Walker’s college career
This season, the 6-foot-6 Walker appeared in 15 games for South Carolina and averaged 1.4 points and 5 minutes. She had a season-high 6 points and 11 minutes in USC’s opening round NCAA Tournament win over No. 16 seed Tennessee Tech.
Her decision to transfer didn’t come as a huge surprise. It was widely assumed this was Walker’s final season of eligibility — but she got an unexpected fifth year of Division I eligibility after recent NCAA rule changes surrounding JUCO players.
Before coming to South Carolina, Walker played two seasons at Rutgers from 2020-22 and one season at Northwest Florida State, a junior college. She was the NJCAA Division I player in 2023 and led her team to the JUCO national championship.
Walker was a four-star recruit and the No. 63 player in the country coming of high school in 2020. At Cal, she should see a significant increase in minutes per game.
Walker joins a Golden Bears team that had a memorable first season in the ACC after joining as an expansion team. Under coach Charmin Smith, Cal won 25 games for the first time since 2013 and made its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019.
Cal was a No. 8 seed and lost to No. 9 Mississippi State in the first round.
Walker is the second transfer from South Carolina’s 2024-25 team (which lost to UConn in the national title game) to find a new home. Star guard MiLaysia Fulwiley committed to play for LSU, one of USC’s top SEC rivals, last week.
South Carolina WBB transfer destinations
Where former Gamecocks will be playing in 2025-26
- G MiLaysia Fulwiley: LSU
- F Sakima Walker: Cal
- F Sahnya Jah: SMU
- G Talaysia Cooper: Tennessee
