Mia Hamant, a goalkeeper on the University of Washington women’s soccer team, has died after a battle with a rare form of kidney cancer, her school announced Thursday. She was 21 years old.
Hamant was diagnosed with stage 4 SMARCB1-deficient kidney cancer in April, per King 5 News, and was only the 14th documented case on record. At the time, she was preparing for her senior year with the Huskies after starting 15 games as a junior, earning All-Big Ten Tournament team honors in the 2024 conference tournament.
She sat out the entire 2025 season to undergo treatment.
Her death comes during the Big Ten women’s soccer tournament, in which Washington is the top seed and scheduled to face No. 2 seed Michigan State in the final on Sunday after defeating No. 5 Wisconsin earlier Thursday. It’s unclear how that game will be affected by Hamant’s death.
Hamant had made a public appearance only two weeks earlier, sounding the siren at the football team’s “Huskies for a Cure” game against Illinois.
“Mia was the heart of our program — someone who lifted up everyone around her with her joy, courage, and kindness,” Washington head coach Nicole van Dyke said in Washington’s statement. “Even in the most difficult moments, she showed an unshakable spirit that inspired her teammates and coaches every single day. Mia made us all better people, and her impact will be felt in this program and in all of our lives forever.”
Washington said it would share details for a memorial or celebration of life at a later time.
