Mangakahia retires from basketball after battling cancer again

MA VoepelESPN.comJun 5, 2023 5:27 am2 minute read

Former Syracuse Orange standout basketball player Tiana Mangakahia is retiring from the sport after being diagnosed with a recurrence of cancer, she announced on social media Sunday.

Mangakahia, a native of Brisbane, Australia, turned 28 in April and plays professionally in her home country. She competed for Syracuse from 2017 to 2021, with a hiatus during that time after being diagnosed with breast cancer at school.

“Without going into too much detail, I was recently diagnosed with stage IV cancer that has spread to other areas of my body,” Mangakahia posted Sunday. “Unfortunately, I was informed by specialists that it was time for me to retire and think about life after I was a professional athlete.”

“Although my basketball journey has come to an end on the court, this will not be the last time you see me in the sport. Even though my journey is uncertain, I am sure that I have a passion for life and to raise awareness throughout the community about this devastating disease.

“I look forward to pursuing a career in coaching and giving back to the sport that has given me so much.”

Mangakahia, a 5’7″ guard, averaged 17.1 points and 9.1 assists in her first two seasons at Syracuse, from 2017 to 2019. She was then diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma in June 2019 and immediately started chemotherapy. She remained in Syracuse for her treatment and also underwent a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery.

She was then told she was cancer free and returned to play 20 games in the 2020–2021 season. She was not selected in the 2021 WNBA draft but attended Phoenix Mercury training camp before being abandoned. She then returned to Australia to play professionally.

In her social media post on Sunday, Mangakahia also wrote about playing basketball since she was five and expressed her appreciation to teammates and coaches.

“The experiences I have had and the amount of joy I have derived from this amazing sport are too overwhelming to explain,” she wrote. “I want to thank everyone who has been part of my journey. There have been ups and downs in my career and life. I know that despite this terrible illness, I will continue to be ME and surround myself with those who love and support me.

“Cancer scares me, but not living my life to the fullest scares me even more.”