University of Washington Wins Big Ten Soccer Title Days After Goalkeeper Mia Hamant’s Death at 21

Just days after losing their 21-year-old goalkeeper, Mia Hamant, to a rare and aggressive form of stage 4 kidney cancer, the University of Washington women’s soccer team lifted the Big Ten Tournament Championship trophy in a performance that left fans and rivals alike in tears. The victory, sealed on November 10, 2025, at Columbus, Ohio, wasn’t just a win—it was a tribute. The Huskies, who joined the Big Ten just last year on August 2, 2024, earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Tournament, with their first-round match scheduled for November 17, 2025. But the real story wasn’t on the scoreboard. It was in the silence between whistles, in the way teammates touched their jerseys over their hearts, and in the unspoken understanding that Hamant was still with them.

A Team Playing for More Than Points

When Mia Hamant passed away on November 6, 2025, the University of Washington athletics department released a statement confirming she’d battled a subtype of kidney cancer so rare, even specialists called it ‘uncommonly aggressive.’ Her prognosis, officials said, followed the typical path—rapid, relentless, and heartbreaking. She was 21. A junior. A starter. One of the Big Ten’s top goalkeepers in 2024, according to ESPN. Her jersey number, 13, was quietly retired by the team that same day. No announcement. No press conference. Just a note taped to the locker room door: ‘We play for her.’

Three days later, the Huskies faced Ohio State in the tournament final. The stadium was packed. Fans wore #13 stickers. Opponents bowed their heads as Hamant’s name was read aloud before kickoff. And then, the game began. No speeches. No banners. Just 11 women playing like their lives depended on it. They won 2-1. The final goal came in the 87th minute—a header off a corner kick. The team didn’t celebrate. They ran straight to the sideline, where Hamant’s gloves and cleats sat under a folded jersey. One player, Kelsey Branson, a midfielder who played alongside Hamant for three seasons, dropped to her knees and kissed the grass. ‘She was just in love with the game,’ Branson told KOMO News. ‘I really admired her for that.’

The Coach Who Held Them Together

Nicole Van Dyke, the head coach since 2021, didn’t give a postgame interview. Instead, she walked to the center of the field, knelt, and placed a single white rose on the penalty spot. Later, in a quiet locker room, she told her team: ‘She was an exceptional teammate, roommate, and friend.’ Those weren’t just words. They were the foundation of the season. Van Dyke had spent weeks adjusting practices, letting players take days off without penalty, allowing tears during film sessions. She didn’t push them to be strong. She let them be human.

What made this season different wasn’t just the talent—it was the quiet resilience. Hamant had been diagnosed in March 2025, just before spring training. She missed four games that spring, returned for the final two, and kept training even as her energy faded. Teammates say she’d show up at 6 a.m. to watch film alone. ‘She’d say, ‘I’m not leaving until I know every angle,’’ recalled backup goalkeeper Jordan Lee. ‘She didn’t want to let us down.’

A Legacy Beyond the Field

The University of Washington, founded in 1861 and located in Seattle, has fielded a women’s soccer program since 1984. But this season will be remembered not for wins or rankings, but for how grief and grace collided. The NCAA tournament will now be a living memorial. Officials confirmed that Hamant’s name will be displayed on the team’s bench, her jersey number displayed on the field’s center circle, and a moment of silence held before every match. A fund in her name, the Mia Hamant Legacy Initiative, has already raised over $2.3 million to support young athletes with rare cancers—money that will go toward early screening programs and psychological support for families.

Her story has rippled beyond Seattle. The Big Ten Conference announced it will establish an annual award in her honor, given to the player who demonstrates ‘exceptional courage and commitment despite adversity.’ The NCAA is reviewing protocols for student-athletes with life-threatening illnesses, especially those who choose to compete while undergoing treatment.

What Comes Next

The Huskies’ first NCAA tournament match is set for November 17, 2025, at a yet-to-be-announced venue. They’ll face a top-seeded team from the Pac-12—ironically, the conference they left just last year. But this isn’t about rivalry anymore. It’s about legacy. Coach Van Dyke said she won’t tell her players how to feel. ‘If they need to cry before the game, cry,’ she said. ‘If they need to smile, smile. Mia wouldn’t want us to be anything but ourselves.’

On the team’s official Instagram, a photo from October 2025 shows Hamant mid-save, arms outstretched, eyes wide with focus. The caption reads: ‘She didn’t just guard the net. She guarded our hearts.’