Another Warrior headed to UAA

WASILLA — The Wasilla Warriors girls basketball program has produced some pretty talented athletes during the tenure of longtime head coach Jeannie Hebert-Truax, with a handful of players finding success at the Division I and II levels.

But before last year, Alaska’s top college women’s basketball program, Alaska Anchorage, had not spent much time recruiting players from the Valley’s perennial girls’ basketball power.

But after snagging one of Alaska’s top high school girls’ basketball players from Wasilla for the second consecutive year, there may be a newfound basketball pipeline that stretches from Wasilla High to UAA.

Earlier this season, Wasilla senior standout Alysha Devine signed her National Letter of Intent to attend UAA and play basketball for the Division II Seawolves.

“I’m so excited,” Devine said recently. “I never thought I wanted to stay in Alaska for school, but the team, and the school and the coach is so great.”

Devine follows former Wasilla standout Alyssa Hutchins, the 2011-12 4A State Player of the Year, who signed with the Seawolves as a high school senior and is currently playing her freshman season at UAA. Devine said reuniting with her friend and former high school teammate certainly factored into her decision to choose UAA.

“I love her, she is so much fun and a great teammate,” Devine said of Hutchins. “It was definitely part of the decision.”

Devine said her family also played a major role in the decision. Her parents are big supporters of Wasilla basketball (her father Mike is an assistant coach with the boys’ program), and she has seven siblings who love to watch her play.

“My family is a big part of me staying here. It’s been great to have them be able to watch me through my high school years. They are super fans for us,” Devine said. “They are so supportive of basketball. Our family is such a basketball family.”

Devine, the second oldest of eight children, is also the second member of her family to earn the chance to play college basketball. Her older brother Connor, the 2011-12 4A Alaska Player of the Year, signed with Division I South Dakota State last year and is currently a redshirt freshman with the Jackrabbits.

UAA and University of Minnesota-Crookston rose to the top of the list of schools Devine considered, she said. Ultimately, the combination of being close to family and what the school and program offered led her to choose UAA.

There was interest from Division I programs, but Devine said she preferred to play for a team like the Seawolves, which has been considered a Great North Athletic Conference power for a number of years.

“I’d rather go to a really good DII team, rather than an OK DI team,” she said.

The style of basketball the Seawolves play was also a draw, she said.

“I love watching UAA play, it’s a really fast pace,” Devine said. “It fits me best. It’s always go, go, go. That’s way I like to play.”

Ability to play at a fast pace and tenacious play on defense has placed Devine among the elite group of girls basketball players in Alaska this season. As a 6-foot guard with tremendous reach, Devine has spent the first half of her senior season consistently frustrating opposing teams. Devine can also score from the perimeter and the post, but sees herself as a guard at the college level.

“I love playing guard, mostly for the defense,” Devine said. “I love pressuring defense.”

The Seawolves are also excited about the addition of Devine, according to a press release issued after the move became official.

“We are very fortunate to keep a (Division I) prospect like Alysha at home here in Alaska,” UAA head coach Ryan McCarthy said in a press release issued by UAA athletics. “She has a tremendous amount of success in high school and has a number of state championships in multiple sports. Alysha is an exceptional athlete whose combination of size and skill will help our program in multiple ways.”

Devine has helped lead the Warriors to back-to-back 4A state titles, and with her team, she is on a quest for a third straight state crown this season. Devine has also been a member of two state championship teams in girls track and field, and three state championship teams in girls cross-country running.

By signing with UAA, Devine will also have an opportunity to be part of one her favorite events, the Great Alaska Shootout.

“I’ve always gone to the shootout. It’s always been my favorite part of Thanksgiving,” Devine said.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com and find him by searching Valley Sports Huddle on Facebook.