ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Heading into Friday’s game with a 6-1 record, Alaska Anchorage women’s basketball is faced with a tall task.

The Seawolves are set to face Division I Troy in the opening round of the 2024 Great Alaska Shootout. Friday’s game is the first meeting between the two in program history.

“We’re gonna get after it, hopefully it goes in the hoop for us,” Seawolves head coach Ryan McCarthy said. “We’re gonna do what we do. We’re not going to change it just because it’s a shootout. We’re going to press these teams and we’re going to try to make them uncomfortable. We’re excited to test ourselves.”

Beginning the season 1-4, the Trojans have faced legitimate competition early. Troy has played two ranked opponents to open the season, including the 2023 national champion and current top-10 ranked Louisiana State University on Nov. 18. The Trojans finished runner-up in the Sun Belt Conference with a 15-3 record last season.

“At the end of the day, they’re women’s basketball players too. They’re the same age as us and they might look bigger, faster and stronger, but we have some great athletes here,” junior guard Elaina Mack said. “We’re more disciplined, we know that we put in a lot of work, and we have just as good of a chance to win this thing as anybody else does.”

The 41st edition of the tournament is also set to feature Vermont and North Dakota State. The two Div. I squads will battle first ahead of UAA’s match Friday night.

All teams will also play Saturday in a winner and loser bracket to determine final results.

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Six Alaska House seats currently held by men are set to be held by women next year, bringing the overall number of women in the chamber to 21. This will be the first time in the state’s history that one of the legislative chambers is majority women.

The women elected to the Alaska House bring a variety of experiences and perspectives to the chamber. Ten of them are Republicans, including four newly elected this year. Nine are Democrats — including three who are newly elected. Two are independents who caucus with Democrats.

There are also five women in the state Senate, a number that remained unchanged in this year’s election, bringing the total number of women in the Alaska Legislature to 26 out of 60, a new record for the state. The previous record of 23 was set in 2019.

Nationally, around a third of legislative seats were held by women this year, according to researchers at Rutgers University. Nearly two-thirds of women legislators are Democrats. In Alaska, women serving in the Legislature are largely evenly split between the major political parties.

Before this year’s election, only seven states had ever seen gender parity in one of their legislative chambers. They include Arizona, Nevada, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Colorado, New Mexico and Oregon. California is set to join the list after this year’s election.

Three of the women slated to serve in the Alaska House next year are Alaska Native — also a record. Two of them were elected for the first time: Robyn Burke of Utqiagvik, who is of Iñupiaq descent, and Nellie Jimmie of Toksook Bay, who is of Yup’ik descent. They join Rep. Maxine Dibert of Fairbanks, of Koyukon Athabascan descent, who was elected in 2022.

The historic increase in representation of women came in Alaska even as voters did not reelect U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, the first woman and first Alaska Native person to represent the state in the U.S. House. Peltola was voted out in favor of Republican Nick Begich III.

Women come to the Alaska Legislature from diverse professional backgrounds, but a disproportionate number of them will arrive with some experience in public education.

Three of the newly elected lawmakers — Burke, Jubilee Underwood of Wasilla and Rebecca Schwanke of Glennallen — have served on their local school boards, helping oversee the North Slope Borough, Matanuska-Susitna Borough and Copper River school districts, respectively.

The three bring different perspectives on public education. Burke said she is looking forward to working with a bipartisan caucus that is set to have a majority in the Alaska House this year, with a focus on increasing education funding and improving the retirement options for Alaska’s public employees, including teachers.

Schwanke and Underwood, on the other hand, have indicated they will join the Republican minority caucus, which has shown an interest in conservative social causes such as barring the participation of transgender girls in girls’ school sports teams.

The increase in the number of women serving in the Alaska Legislature comes as public education funding is set to be a key issue when lawmakers convene in January.

Burke said she and the other newly elected women bring different policy perspectives to the topic of education, but their shared experience in serving on school boards reflects a commitment to their children’s education.

“With so many parents and so many moms, I hope that there will be really good legislation that supports working families and children and education,” Burke said.

Alaska is one of those places that’s impossible to visit just once. I’ve barely returned from my first taste of this untamed beauty and already I’m planning my next trip.

On our Norwegian Cruise Line 7-Day Alaska Round-Trip, we spend a week cruising and touring Alaska’s famed Southwest region taking in the ports of Sitka, Juneau, Icy Strait Point, Dawes Glacier, and Ketchikan.

Here is your guide on what to see, what to do, and skip in the Last Frontier state.

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Sitka

Once Alaska’s first capital city, this dreamy town pretty much jams the best of Alaskan experiences into one place. Spawning salmon jumping upstream, check. Bears catching said salmon, check. Remote and stunning fjords. Check.Check.Check! 

I booked myself on tour here to ensure I got the most out of my time. First we visited the Fortress Of The Bears, a sanctuary for orphaned brown and black bears. This is a popular tourist spot as you are guaranteed to see their resident bears.

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Take a look onboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s brand new ship

After this close encounter, we cruised along the silent and glassy inlet waters to Silver Bay homestead where we feasted on S’Mores and hot chocolate as we learned about the local area and history. We were also lucky enough to see a bear near the local salmon hatchery fishing from the shore. What a privilege to see these magnificent creatures in the wilderness.

Be sure to leave yourself enough time to wander through town too and do the totem pole walking tour through the Sitka Historical Park. For some added spice, there are regular “beware of bears” signs to keep you on your toes and on the lookout!

For movie buffs, I hate to break it to you, but Sandra Bullock’s rom com hit, The Proposal, was “based” here, but was actually filmed in the United States. Our bus driver told us a few aerial shots may have been used, but that was about it.

And if you are at the cruise ship terminal you HAVE to try the roasted nuts from a local store aptly named Sitka Nuts. We barrelled through two bags of cashews and almonds. A must!

Juneau

Juneau is the capital of Alaska. It’s both a mountain town and a coastal city surrounded by incredible beauty, wildlife and with a deep Native American history. 

As soon as you step off your ship, there’s a dizzying array of tours on offer, the highlight of which is a trip to the famous Mendenhall Glacier about 15 minutes out of town by shuttle.  While the tourist centre was packed, we had a drizzly day, so the trails to the glacier lookout and the nearby waterfall are relaxed and easy to navigate. I’d give yourselves about two hours out here, unless you’re up for a longer hike.

Back in town, there’s a long line out the front of tourist hotspot Tracy’s Crab Shack and it’s standing room only at the Red Dog Saloon. Line up early if they take your fancy. We took photos out the front and instead spent our time strolling around town.

We made a beeline for their famous fudge shops (this will be a common theme throughout this article!), bought some great souvenirs in the Alaskan Brewing Co and I can highly recommend Jellyfish Donuts. Also, the shuttle drivers in Alaska are the absolute best. Full of knowledge, hilariously bad jokes, and pride for their hometowns.

Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier

This was the highlight of our trip to Alaska. The weather gods were smiling as we made our way down the glacier carved fjord of Endicott Arm. This is National Geographic worthy. Sheer granite cliffs that tower above our 20 deck ship. Water so green you keep taking your sunglasses on and off to ensure it’s not a trick of the lenses. Chunks of glaciers float by. Can this be real? Am I actually here?

Then after miles and miles of quiet cruising, you see her. The Dawes Glacier. 600 feet tall and half a mile wide. Even from a distance she’s magnificent. Rug up and grab a spot on the upper decks to truly appreciate nature in all her glory.

This is a once in a lifetime experience not to be missed. 

Ketchikan

Ketchikan is the southernmost entrance to Alaska’s famed Inside Passage and is everything you hope an Alaskan city will be. Famed for its beautiful scenery, its world famous salmon and Native American history.

If your time is limited, stroll around Creek Street and the downtown historic district. There are also more than 80 totem poles dotted around Ketchikan. And yes, more fudge to be consumed too!

When we docked, we opted for the George Inlet Fjords Safari. Now this is an action packed day! Start your engines as you drive your own UTVs through the Alaskan wilderness. The scenery is stunning. You may even spot a bear or two on your adventures.  You then board a sightseeing vessel that will deliver you to the charming George Inlet Lodge where you’ll sit by the water as you feast on fresh Dungeness crab and sample local craft beers. I am not normally a seafood eater, but the crab chowder was irresistible. So were the beers!

These Alaskan cruise stops are just a sample of what awaits on your journey to the Last Frontier.  I’m already planning to return to explore more and maybe buy some more fudge.

This writer travelled as a guest of NCL. The cruise line offers four ships (Bliss, Encore, Joy, Jade) from three departure ports – Seattle, Vancouver, Whittier – to explore the region, with an extended season from April to October, providing the opportunity to see Northern Lights.