ANCHORAGE (May 29) – Alaska Anchorage women's basketball coach Matt Thune has solidified his 2026-27 roster with three more impact transfers, including a pair of Alaskans, announcing Friday that Evan Hamey, Bella Hays and Amber Kartchner have signed scholarship agreements to play for the Seawolves.
"Evan, Bella and Amber not only give us much more size in the post and on the perimeter, they bring a ton of experience from the D-I and elite D-II levels," said Thune. "With their addition, we should have one of the deepest lineups in our league and the West Region."
A 6-3 forward, Hamey returns to her hometown after seeing limited action and taking a redshirt at fellow NCAA Div. II program Colorado Mesa. The Dimond High School product played in eight games for a Mavericks team that went 37-2 in 2025-26 and reached the national semifinals. As a prep standout, she earned AABC Second Team All-State and First Team All-Cook Inlet Conference awards, topping 1,000 career points and helping the Lynx to ASAA 4A State Tournament berths all four years. Hamey will be a second-generation Seawolf, following in the footsteps of her father Chris, who was an all-league guard at UAA from 1995-2000.
"Evan returning home to Anchorage is another huge addition for our program," Thune said. "She brings size to our forward position and has the versatility to play both inside and out on the perimeter with her shooting ability. There is something special about student-athletes who truly understand what it means to represent this state, and Evan is excited for that opportunity, especially with her family's connection to our program. Beyond her abilities on the court, she is a great fit for the culture we are building, and we are thrilled to welcome her home."
Meanwhile, Hays will cap her collegiate career after spending four seasons at NCAA Div. I program Eastern Washington, including a redshirt season as a true freshman. A 6-4 center, the former Wasilla High School star had her most productive campaign as a sophomore in 2024-25, averaging 3.8 points and 3.1 rebounds over 31 games, while shooting .525 (53-101) from the floor. A 54 percent career shooter, she posted solid efforts last year with seven points on 3-of-3 shooting and no turnovers against Arizona State, and six points (3-3 FG) and 2 blocks in an overtime loss to Weber State. Hays was a three-time AABC First Team All-State performer at Wasilla, helping the Warriors to a 4A State Tournament runner-up finish in 2022 and a pair of Northern Lights Conference titles.
"Bringing Bella home to Alaska is special for our program," Thune said. "She is someone who takes pride in representing this state and is excited for the opportunity to compete in front of her community. Bella brings toughness and size to our squad inside, and we believe she'll deliver a significant impact both on and off the court. We're thrilled she chose to finish her career as a Seawolf."
A 5-9 guard, Kartchner comes north after a couple seasons off from basketball, reuniting with Thune after playing under him as an assistant at Div. I Utah Tech. The Logan, Utah, native redshirted as a true freshman at BYU in 2021-22 before transferring to Utah Tech, where she started all 31 games in 2022-23, averaging 11.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals, and shooting .509 from the floor, .368 (46-125) from three-point range and .724 on free throws. A double-figure scorer in 16 games, she earned WAC Player of the Week after scoring a season-high 26 points (9-10 FG, 3-3 3FG, 5-6 FT) and dishing four assists in a home win over New Mexico State. She also had nine assists and 13 points at UT Arlington, and filled the stat sheet with 20 points (7-13 FG), seven rebounds, four assists and four steals at UTRGV.
"I'm really excited to coach Amber again," Thune said. "We had a great run together a few years ago, and I know she will make an immediate impact on our program. She made major contributions to our team at Utah Tech, and she is hungry for the opportunity to compete here in Alaska. Amber is an explosive player on both ends of the floor, and she competes with an intensity that will elevate our team every day. As talented as she is, she approaches the game selflessly, and I believe that mindset will help bring our group together this season."
Hamey, Hays and Kartchner give UAA eight new faces in 2026-27, joining fellow transfers Kyla Momberg (5-8, G, Box Elder, Mont./BEHS/MSU Billings), Jayden Smallwood (5-7, G, Tulsa, Okla./McKinney North HS/Texas A&M-Int'l) and Bridgette Tello (5-9, G, Laredo, Texas/United South HS/Texas A&M-Int'l), along with incoming freshmen Savannah Kroon (5-9, G, Wasilla, Alaska/WHS) and Kinzley Larsen (5-9, G, Rigby, Idaho/RHS). Additionally, the Seawolves will feature three returners from the 2025-26 roster – senior forward Cheyann Ashworth, junior wing Sheridan Liggett and sophomore guard Kiara Stone – who have yet to see game action as Seawolves, but are expected to make major contributions.
