From preps to pros, our award-winning staff provides in-depth coverage of Alaska athletes that is second to none. Owned by the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame.
NCAA All-American hoops star Ruthy Hebard of Fairbanks has earned female athlete-of-the-year honors after the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors selected her the women's winner of the 2020 Pride of Alaska Award.
@RuthyHebard24
Kamaka Hepa of Utqiagvik made his first start of the season for fourth-ranked Texas and drained a career-best five 3-pointers en route to matching his career high with 15 points in an 82-67 win over Kansas State.
Two years after leaving Barrow in search of more exposure in the Lower 48, prep hoops star
@kamaka_hepa4
has returned to Alaska to graduate high school with his class and celebrate
@TexasMBB
signing with the people closest to him.
Ruthy Hebard of Fairbanks broke the state record for fastest Alaskan to score 300 points in the
@WNBA
, accomplishing the feat in 53 games to shatter the previous record of 81 games set by Eagle River’s Kelsey Griffin in 2012.
@RuthyHebard24
@chicagosky
Anchorage’s Bubacar Touray, a former Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year from West High who went on to star in the
@NWAC
and
@EPLWA
, has unexpectedly passed away. He was only 21. The Gambian native was beloved for his infectious smile and incredible skills.
MILESTONE MOMENT: Anchorage 19-year-old Hunter Sulte tonight made his debut in goal with the Portland Timbers to become only the second Alaskan to play in the MLS. At 6-foot-7, Sulte is the tallest goalkeeper to ever start a MLS match.
Awesome
@alissa_pili
of Anchorage rose to the occasion in a big way. Making her college debut with
@USCWBB
, the 6-foot freshman logged a game-high 35 minutes and collected her first double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds in win over CSUN.
@dimondgbb
As generational players from the same era,
@RuthyHebard24
of Fairbanks and
@alissa_pili
of Anchorage will forever be linked. They have lifted Alaska women’s hoops to new heights. Rivals on the court but friends off it, they finally faced off in the Pac-12.
Eager to get the state’s best basketball players together in the same gym at the same time, Anchorage's Isa Wilson has set up the premier pickup game of Alaska all-stars from the past, present and future. “These are people the kids look up to,” he said.
Five of Alaska's finest basketball players went off today:
@djfromveg
career-high 25 in G League
@thorrjt
career-high 24 for Auburn
@jkb13_
career-high 28 for Pacific
@BentiuPanoam3
career-high 25 for North Dakota
@1ballaholic
season-high 30 for UT-Tyler
It took Anchorage's
@BrandonPili
six games to make
@uscfootball
history as Trojans blocked two field goals in one game for the first time since 2011. Pili also made two solo tackles in the 38-24 win over Colorado.
Starting in 2023, the Alaska Airlines Classic high school basketball tournament will feature a 35-second shot clock for both girls and boys.
@akair_classic
Hoops homecoming: Anchorage's Da’Zhon Wyche to return to Alaska and play final season at UAA. “I’m not gonna lie, I’m pretty hyped.”
@1ballaholic
@UAAMBB
Between
@allie_ostrander
winning NCAA title,
@kelteralev
leading Team USA rugby in scoring,
@RuthyHebard24
part of unbeaten 3x3 World Cup team and
@kamaka_hepa4
running with gold-medal fav at Americas U18 Championship, this is truly an monumental moment in Alaska sports history.
Congratulations to Daishen Nix. He becomes only the 4th Alaskan selected for the boy's Mc Donald's All-American game!
@djfromveg
joins AK legends
@mchalmers15
@MisterCBooz
and Trajan Langdon on the
@McDAAG
list.
The state of Alaska has never had it so good in the Pac-12 Conference before the arrival of
@RuthyHebard24
of Fairbanks and
@alissa_pili
of Anchorage. Now we’re spoiled. Hebard named All-Pac-12 for 4th time while Pili earns 1st nod & Freshman of the Year.
Anchorage's Sunny Bowlin-Stacy will always remember her first goal in college. The former Bartlett High soccer player found the back of the net in the 99th minute to propel Alabama State to a 2-1 overtime win over Mississippi Valley State.
@sunnnybs
MILESTONE MOMENT: Longtime
@adndotcom
Sports Editor Beth Bragg just celebrated her 35th anniversary at the state's largest newspaper. She is as good as it gets in the journalism world, a brilliant writer and tireless editor who shaped the careers of many reporters, including me.
.
@talisarhea
’s remarkable rise through the ranks of the Seattle Storm has seen the Juneau native go from intern to head honcho. The
@WNBA
team promoted the 31-year-old Alaskan to general manager, making her one of the youngest GMs in pro hoops.
Read more:
Anchorage’s
@alissa_pili
registered her fifth double-double for
@USCWBB
, yet this one was her most impressive. The freshman hit 10-of-17 shots and scored a season-high 28 points to go with 10 rebounds against undefeated UCLA in 83-59 loss in Pac-12 opener.
Anchorage’s
@QPtheQB
for the first time in his Sierra College career threw multiple touchdown passes in the same game. The freshman quarterback tossed scoring strikes of 32 & 24 yards and finished 8-for-16 with 118 yards in a 45-14 loss in the CCCAA.
From long shot to hot shot, Anchorage’s
@DajoneeHale
went from troubled teen kicked off her high school team to NAIA Player of the Year and
@CMUWBB
all-time leading scorer in college. Given a second chance in life, Hale has been nothing but net.
@cmueagles
Western Colorado tailback Josh Cummings of Fairbanks went to the house the first time he touched the ball. By the end, he had racked up a career-high 124 yards in one of the greatest performances by an Alaskan at the NCAA D2 level.
@darkskinssj
Read more:
Anchorage’s
@DevonBookert
made a dynamite
@nbagleague
debut with
@austin_spurs
in 115-95 loss to South Bay Lakers. The 26-year-old rookie scored 16 points, dished 7 assists, grabbed 3 rebounds & blocked a shot. He's the 4th Alaskan to play in the G-League.
FRIDAY FLASHBACK: The only college quarterback from Alaska to beat a team from a Power Five conference, Anchorage’s Zach Lujan was 10-5 as a starter at South Dakota State and led the Jacks to their first win over a FBS school.
@CoachLujan
Read more:
For a prep player who has done it all, only one question remained for Anchorage's
@alissa_pili
: Where would she play in college basketball? After narrowing her finalists to five schools, Pili picked
@USCWBB
. "USC has everything I need to be successful."
Milestone Moment: Anchorage's Brandon Huffman became the first Alaskan to score points for the
@UNC_Basketball
since Palmer's CJ Hooker in 2005. Hooker played 34 career games from 2003-05. Huffman, a promising freshman, is just getting started.
Just like one of his patented stop-and-go moves on the court,
@djfromveg
of Anchorage switched gears with his decision to skip college and sign with G League. "I will be playing against guys that have already been to the NBA and guys trying to go the NBA."
Dickinson State teammates and big-play specialists
@PiliatiPresley
of Anchorage and
@Ateliano34
of Soldotna were selected first team all-conference for the North Star Athletic Association. Both Alaskans rank among the league leaders in tackles for loss.
One of the most decorated college swimmers in Alaska history did not disappoint at the NCAA D3 Championships in Indiana. Juneau’s
@kennyisafox
racked up 4 All-American finishes (giving him 9 for his career) and helped
@DenisonSports
roll to national title.
Anchorage’s Jaron Williams drilled back-to-back jumpers inside the final two minutes of overtime to lift
@CCSpokAthletics
to a 74-69 win over Wenatchee Valley in
@NWACSports
men's hoops. The freshman guard finished with 13 of his 19 points after halftime.
Sierra College quarterback Qyntyn Pilcher-Colbert of Anchorage accounted for five touchdowns - four through the air and a 40-yarder on the ground - to lead his team to a 49-48 win in the CCCAA.
@QPtheQB
Barrow’s
@kamaka_hepa4
played more minutes for
@TexasMBB
against High Point than he had in his previous eight appearances. The result was one of the most productive performances of his career with 7 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocked shots.
One day after his 19th birthday,
@kamaka_hepa4
of Barrow celebrated with his first start for the
@TexasMBB
team. Then he celebrated his first Big 12 double-figure scoring game as the 6-foot-9 freshman forward netted 11 points in an 84-83 loss to Baylor.
Freshman
@nathanf_33
of Anchorage was the lone Western Wyoming player selected to the NJCAA All-Region IX Team. The 6-foot-4 guard earned a spot on the second team after leading his team in points, rebounds, steals and 3-point shooting percentage.
The
@RuthyHebard24
Show is going international. The NCAA record holder and All-Pac-12 basketball star from Fairbanks has played to rave reviews at the University of Oregon. Now she'll represent the Team USA at this week’s FIBA 3×3 World Cup in Philippines.
After he worked his way into the starting lineup,
@1ballaholic
of Anchorage is now working the opposition. The
@UTTYLERMBB
transfer started his second straight game and put up season best numbers in an 83-75 win over Jarvis Christian.
@wahsakbball
Alaska has produced roughly 70 NCAA D1 men's basketball players in the last 80 years. We've had All-Americans, MVPs, MOPs, all-conference picks and national champs.
But who is Alaska's Greatest D1 Men's Basketball Player?
He’s not old enough to get his driver’s license, but Anchorage’s Obed Vargas did chauffeur in a new era for Alaska soccer. The 15-year-old made his
@MLS
debut and became the third-youngest player to appear in the country’s premier league.
Read more:
There’s no doubt
@RITMHKY
has its mojo working when
@Moretz14
of Fairbanks is on the ice. The Tigers are 14-4-1 when Moretz records a point. The freshman ranks third on the team in scoring and looks to keep things rolling at the Atlantic East Tournament.
MILESTONE MOMENT: Anchorage's Daishen Nix tonight became the fifth Alaskan to play in an NBA game, and in typical fashion the point guard shared the ball by setting up a teammate for a devastating dunk to punctuate Houston's 102-89 victory over Oklahoma City.
@djfromveg
Former Spokane CC star Jaron Williams of Anchorage cites family, credits UAA men's basketball coaches for influencing his decision to come back and play for hometown Seawolves. “I can’t wait to show UAA what I can do.”
@ronniefromak
@UAAMBB
@NWACSports
The
@USCWBB
tradition is so historic HBO made a documentary about it. They should have saved room for
@alissa_pili
of Anchorage. It's no exaggeration to call the powerful 6-foot Pac-12 Freshman of the Year the next great player for the Women of Troy.
After chipping away game after game, Adams State University freshman
@_abucketz
of Anchorage finally broke through with her first signature performance, orchestrating a quick start and scoring 16 points to key ASU's first-ever win over Black Hills State.
Sierra College freshman quarterback
@QPtheQB
of Anchorage come on in relief in the second quarter against Modesto to complete 6-of-12 passes, including a beautiful throw on a 40-yard hookup and later a 7-yard TD strike, in his first significant college appearance.
@WAHSFootball
After throwing for a career-high 367 yards and four TDs, Qyntyn Pilcher-Colbert of Anchorage wasn’t exactly pounding his chest. His team lost and that's the ultimate buzzkill. "It’s time for us to pick it up and make a playoff run."
@QPtheQB
Read more:
Anchorage's
@djfromveg
saw his NBA G League season end with a playoff loss, but his pro career is just getting started. He was solid all year and ranked top-20 in the league in assists, validating his decision to turn pro straight out of high school.
Anchorage's
@1ballaholic
put Texas-Tyler on his back and carried the Patriots to an 85-75 overtime win over Cameron to complete the conference series sweep. The guard had a hand in 11 of his team’s 17 points in OT and finished with a season-high 26 points.
MILESTONE MOMENT: Josh Cummings of Fairbanks turned in one of the greatest rushing days by an Alaskan in a NCAA game:
265 Yohance Humphrey UM '01
216 Mike Connaker MWU '98
206 Josh Cummings WCU '21
201 Yohance Humphrey UM '01
197 Yohance Humphrey UM '00
197 Parker Kizer LC '19
Three starters from Alaska -
@kerbo2real
and
@BasicJaron10
of Anchorage & Jamal Alstrom of Sitka - led the
@CCSpokAthletics
men’s basketball team to the Red Devil Classic championship with 67-62 win over previously undefeated Lower Columbia.
@NWACSports
Anchorage’s Jaron Williams and Kaeleb Johnson combined for 58 points as both players recorded college career highs on the same night to carry Spokane to a 104-99 victory over Yakima Valley in the
@NWACSports
.
@ronniefromak
@kerbo2real
Anchorage’s
@alissa_pili
showcased her all-court skills for
@USCWBB
in a 60-57 win over Alabama as she scored 11 points, grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and was the only player in the game to register a blocked shot, steal and offensive rebound.
@dimondgbb
After securing a monster double-double and scoring the winning basket to help
@USCWBB
upset undefeated rival UCLA,
@alissa_pili
of Anchorage was named Pac-12 Conference Freshman of the Week. Her 17 rebounds are the second most for an Alaskan at D1 level.
ESPN has
@RuthyHebard24
of Fairbanks going No. 7 in next year's WNBA draft. The All-Pac-12 forward has averaged 16.2 points and 8.8 rebounds in 111 career games with
@OregonWBB
. Her record-setting .640 shooting percentage is eclipsed only by her team's .788 winning percentage.
The
@nyliberty
got the No. 1 pick, and Oregon senior Sabrina Ionescu is the projected top pick in our mock draft. Three
@OregonWBB
players are in our first round.
Anchorage’s
@DemietriusP
thought he would just post a few highlight videos of his brother when he created
@wegotnextt
in 2011. He ended up creating a go-to source for Alaska prep hoops. But soon Preston will stop filming b/c he has joined the
@usairforce
.
With his skating and sportsmanship,
@KeeganMOnline
of Girdwood stole the show in Canada. He claimed the bronze medal and then displayed the true character of a gentleman in the awards ceremony by holding up the Japanese flag for gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu.
Today marks the first anniversary of the Alaska Sports Report. We've taken a side hustle and established a go-to news source, thanks to our tireless staff:
Van Williams
Doyle Woody
Matt Nevala
Matias Saari
Bryan Boyett
Arielle Himelbloom
Harlow Robinson
Ceremonial Day 1 cover⬇️
MILESTONE MOMENT: Anchorage's Daishen Nix matched the single-game assist record for an Alaskan at the pro level.
13
@mchalmers15
NBA 2009
13
@djfromveg
G League 2021
12 Derrick Wilson Sweden 2020
11 Andrea Lloyd WNBA 1999
10
@MisterCBooz
NBA 2008
10 Andre Laws Brazil 2014
Anchorage’s
@thorrjt
and
@djfromveg
got their first taste of the NBA Summer League. With plenty to prove, both Alaskans stuffed the stat sheet with fabulous first games in Las Vegas.
Read more:
Shortly after
@ChildersMaddi
of Anchorage joined the
@SOURaiders
soccer team her world was turned upside down after she was moved from defense to offense. The freshman has thrived in her new role and ranks second on the team in scoring.
@LadyLynxSoccer
4A Boys State Final: Zach Williamson scored on a fabulous fadeaway jumper at the buzzer to lift South to a 37-35 victory over East in the Class 4A boys state title game. An Alaska Airlines Center crowd of 4,000 saw seven lead changes in the final 3:23.
Anchorage’s Jonny Homza reached base three times and scored the winning run in the top of the ninth inning to lift the San Diego Padres rookie-level team to a 12-11 win over the Mariners in the Arizona League. He also threw out a baserunner at catcher.
The parade of awards continued for
@RuthyHebard24
of Fairbanks as the
@OregonWBB
star collected the Katrina McClain Award as nation's top power forward. “I am thankful and I am proud of myself. I have worked for this my entire life."
When it comes to college football bowl games, Alaska has carved out its own place in history thanks to defining moments by a handful of players. Now
@BrandonPili
&
@luivatton49
represent the next wave looking to add their names to the list of bowl heroes.
Former
@MonroeCatholic
star Scooter Bynum of Fairbanks was a MLB draft pick in 2014 but instead went to school, where he has enjoyed historic success by becoming the first Alaskan since 2001 to collect 200 career base hits at college level.
@NIU_Baseball
With '907' written on his right calf to remind the world where he calls home,
@djfromveg
of Anchorage hit the ground running in his NBA G-League debut as the prep-to-pro playmaker scored 12 points and showcased a luxurious layup package in 109-104 win.
The Lewis-Clark basketball team and its Alaska contingent is headed to the NAIA Final Four. Associate head coach
@leif_karlberg
and junior
@natefromm
of Anchorage, and freshman Colton Spencer of Palmer are part of a Warriors squad that is 21-1.
Read more:
Long before Anchorage’s
@BentiuPanoam3
was making winning plays in games for the University of North Dakota, he was winning the day in practice. From scout team to drills to scrimmage, the senior played with guts and gusto like something was on the line.
Rage City is on its way back to the NBA after JT Thor of Anchorage's became the latest NBA Draft pick from Alaska.
2021
@thorrjt
2020 Justinian Jessup
2008
@mchalmers15
2002
@MisterCBooz
1999
@tralang_21
1994 Brooks Thompson
1980 Tony Turner
Read more:
A change of scenery has done wonders for Brandon Huffman of Anchorage. Twice in the last week the Jacksonville State senior transfer has recorded career highs, first grabbing nine rebounds against Florida Atlantic and then scoring 14 points against Mobile.
.
@RuthyHebard24
of Fairbanks has more double-doubles in her
@WNBA
career than the four other Alaskans who played in the league put together. And it took her just 31 games.
Read more:
A Herculean effort by
@wellconnectedAk
of Anchorage in the final two games of the Portuguese League Finals helped Sporting Lisbon storm back to claim the championship and give Williams his first Finals MVP award.
Read more:
The evolution of Juneau’s
@k3ndylcars0n
was on full display against WCC rival Portland as the Pepperdine freshman drained 5-of-7 3-pointers and scored a career-high 25 points to become the 16th Alaska woman to hit the 25-point benchmark in a D1 game.
MILESTONE MOMENT: Anchorage's JT Thor become the 4th Alaskan to play in a NBA game after the rookie checked in for the final minute of Charlotte's 123-112 win over Cleveland. He joins Trajan Langdon, Carlos Boozer and Mario Chalmers.
@thorrjt
@tralang_21
@MisterCBooz
@mchalmers15
Jeremiah Bailey of Fairbanks broke out for a 25-point performance for
@PacificMensBB
to lift the Tigers to a 66-60 victory over UC Riverside on opening night. This was the senior's best scoring night in 65 career games with the West Coast Conference squad.
Anchorage's LaTraviaus Kingsland went from wearing Zack Bowman’s number at Bartlett to playing for him at Midland University. “He’s rooting for you because just like he’s a hometown kid, you’re a hometown kid.”
@tray_kingsland
@Gbearfootball
@MidlandU_FB
Anchorage’s
@mayacarle
helped Feather River College make school history by helping the women’s volleyball team win its first
@cccwvca
tournament title with a 5-set victory over previously undefeated Irvine Valley in the championship match.
@dhslynxvball
Anchorage's Ja'Sem Atonio and Soldotna's Brenner Furlong combined for 254 yards and teamed up on a 17-yard TD pass for Dakota State. Atonio also rushed for two scores and Furlong surpassed 700 career rushing yards.
@JasemAtonio
@FurlongBrenner
Read more:
When given a chance to shine,
@BentiuPanoam3
of Anchorage sparkled for the University of North Dakota against Oral Roberts by notching season highs of 11 points and 23 minutes for his first double-figure scoring effort in 13 months.
@UNDmbasketball
For 35 years nobody from Alaska has been able to touch Doug Herron in the 800 meters. There’s a new face in the chase and he’s a chip off the old block. Herron's son Camron recently ran a sub 1:50 to crack Alaska's all-time top 5.
@ArizonaTrack
Read more:
Anchorage's
@mchalmers15
is shooting the lights out in the Greek League. The veteran guard leads his team with a career-best 3-point percentage of 44.4, putting him on pace to eclipse the 40 percent benchmark for only the second time in 12 pro seasons.
Anchorage's Edefuan Ulofoshio (South) and Thomas Sio (Bartlett) faced off in the Pac-12. Ulofoshio, a sophomore linebacker, had a season-high 16 tackles for Washington and Sio, a freshman D-lineman, broke up a pass for Oregon State, which won 27-24.
@Ulofoshio30
@Professor_Giant
Josh Cummings of Fairbanks rushed for 154 yards and scored twice for the second straight game, helping Western Colorado start 3-0 for the first time since 1980. "My speed and strength are up to new levels I haven’t been at before."
@darkskinssj
Read more:
The
@ECSoaringEagles
have won 3 national championships and qualified for NCAAs 13 times in their 16-year history. That winning pedigree is what drew Anchorage’s
@tristentolaaan
to the New York school and now she’s doing her part to continue the tradition.
Anchorage's
@djfromveg
looked pretty sweet in his first taste of professional basketball. The 18-year-old rookie with the NBA G League Ignite showcased his shiftiness and stick-to-itiveness in a pair of scrimmages against G League alums in California.
Anchorage’s
@JeremySwayman
of the
@MaineIceHockey
team ranks No. 1 in the country in games (22), minutes (1,329) and saves (726). The junior goalie improved to 10-8-4 on the season after he turned aside 32 shots in Maine's 3-2 win over Nebraska-Omaha.
Anchorage's
@1ballaholic
pumped in a season-high 21 points for the University of Texas Tyler on a night when the point guard surpassed 1,000 points for his college career. The former
@wahsakbball
and Laramie JC star reached the benchmark in 61 games.