The University of Washington women’s soccer team suffered a tragic loss.
Goalkeeper Mia Hamantwho helped the Washington Huskies advance to the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament during her junior year, died Thursday, Nov. 6, of stage 4 kidney cancer. She was 21 years old.
“Mia was the heart of our program – someone who uplifted everyone around her with her joy, courage and kindness. Even in the most difficult times, she demonstrated an unwavering spirit that inspired her teammates and coaches every day. Mia made us all better people, and her impact will be felt in this program and all of our lives forever,” Nicole Van Dykethe team’s head coach said Thursday in a statement shared by the university.
Pat Chunthe athletic director, added: “The University of Washington mourns the heartbreaking loss of Mia Hamant, whose strength, kindness and spirit touched everyone around her. Mia embodied everything we hope for in a Husky student-athlete: perseverance, grace and an unwavering commitment to her teammates and her community. Her remarkable courage in the face of adversity and the legacy she leaves behind will forever inspire the UW family.”
The team doctor, Ashwin Raocommented on the social media post, talking about his team working with the late athlete.
“I had the privilege of getting to know Mia throughout her four years as a student-athlete, as well as during her diagnosis and treatment,” he wrote. “I was also fortunate to be with her through the end of her journey. Throughout the process, Mia fought her cancer as fiercely as she played. She wanted to be an inspiration to others who are also battling cancer, as well as a source of awareness and destigmatization.”
Hamant had a tremendous 2024 season with the program, recording the third-lowest single-season goals-against average in program history before missing the 2025 season due to his diagnosis. The Big Ten Conference honored Hamant this week with the 2025 Sportsmanship Award.
Mia Hamant Washington Huskies
Courtesy of University of Washington/InstagramIn an interview with 97.3 KIRO Newsradio on Friday, November 7, University of Washington associate professor Scott Tykodi explained how someone so young and healthy can be struck down by such an aggressive disease.
“Kidney cancer, it’s kind of a general, casual term, but what we typically see in adults, what’s called renal cell carcinoma, has several different subtypes, and there are a few rare types that are enriched in a much younger patient population, what’s called medullary renal cell carcinoma and translocation renal cell carcinoma that often appears in patients in their late teens, 20s and 30s.” he declared.
Tykodi continued: “And these subtypes respond much less well to the therapies that are available. So it’s a real tragedy that these rare types are becoming enriched in younger patients, when the therapies that we have generally don’t work very well at all. So it’s a horrible, horrible scenario.”
Hamant’s cancer, a stage 4 SMARCB1-deficient kidney cancer (also known as renal medullary carcinoma) is particularly rare – the young soccer star was only the 14th documented case of the disease. According to the Mayo Clinic, stage 4 kidney cancer usually means the disease has spread to other parts of the body.
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“It’s quite unusual to have young patients diagnosed with kidney cancer, and I think it always hurts more to see someone so young battling a terrible disease for which there are no cure options,” Tykodi added.
