"I love this part more than anyone": Dawn Staley shares wishes for Raven Johnson & Sakima Walker's major academic milestone on IG

Raven Johnson and Sakima Walker will return to college basketball with another feather in their caps. The guard-center duo have finished their degrees with South Carolina.

Dawn Staley announced the news on Instagram on Saturday, playfully asking the university to hand their honors. She also uploaded pictures with Johnson, Walker and their families.

"THE @GamecockWBB GRADUATES! Congrats to @HollywoodRaven @SakimaWalker for finishing the academic race…degree them! I love this part more than anyone will ever know. 🐔❤️🐔❤️🐔❤️🐔," the post read.

6-foot-5 Walker will not play her final year of CBB with the Gamecocks. She entered the portal this offseason and will lace up for the California Golden Bears. Johnson, who had the option to declare for the WNBA draft, will run it back with Dawn Staley.

Undergraduate players can continue competing in Division I. However, they must be a student to tap into their eligibility. With that, Raven Johnson and Sakima Walker could be pursuing a master's degree, graduate certificates or other approved academic program.

How did Sakima Walker and Raven Johnson perform in the previous season?

After South Carolina's SEC Championship win over Kentucky last season, Dawn Staley was asked about the future of Raven Johnson and Sakima Walker. The coach hoped the players would return to the roster in time.

Johnson posted 4.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals on 35.0% efficiency. Statistically, it was far away from being a career-best year. However, her leadership, defense and experience factored heavily in the team's run to the NCAA championship game. The guard has established herself as a key piece in the Gamecocks' culture.

With that, as soon as Raven Johnson decided to skip the WNBA draft, fans expected her to be back in South Carolina. However, that was not the case for Sakima Walker, who saw just 5.5 minutes of action across 15 games last season. She averaged 1.4 ppg and 0.7 rpg on a 40.0% clip.

Walker was expected to move on from Dawn Staley and Co. this offseason to solidify a bigger role at another school.