DAVIS, Calif. — For the first time in her career, UC Davis women's water polo's Chelsea Johnson has been named the Big West Player of the Week following a thrilling 16-15 overtime upset victory over No. 9 UC Irvine on Sunday, Mar. 1.

This recognition follows a dominant weekend where Johnson led the Aggies in goals in both contests, totaling nine goals, two assists, and two steals. She also anchored the rotation by leading the team in minutes played over the weekend (64) and on the season (351). On Friday, Johnson scored four of the team's six goals against Long Beach State, and on Sunday, she matched her career-high with five goals against the Anteaters, including two clutch power-play scores in the final two minutes of regulation to force overtime.

On the season, Johnson leads UC Davis with 33 goals and ranks sixth overall in the Big West with 50 total points (33 goals, 16 assists). She has been especially effective in league play; through three conference games so far, Johnson ranks No. 1 in the Big West in conference-play goals (11), points (15), and goals-per-game.

UP NEXT: The Aggies travel to Stockton, Calif. next weekend for a matchup against Pacific on Saturday, Mar. 7 at 5:00 p.m. PT.

ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS: 
UC Davis, the No. 2 ranked public university by the Wall Street Journal, is home to 40,000 undergraduate students and 12,000 employees. Ranked No. 1 in Agriculture and Forestry as well as No. 1 in Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis is located in a true California college town nestled between world-class destinations such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe. Over 650 Aggie student-athletes compete in 25 Division I varsity sports, with 16 sports transitioning to the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026–27. 

For more information, visit https://ucdavisaggies.com/.