Tiana Mangakahia

Tiana Cynthia Mangakahia (21 April 1995 – 11 September 2025) was an Australian basketball player. She began her career with two seasons in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) before playing college basketball in the United States for Syracuse University between 2017 and 2021. After a season in Russia, Mangakahia returned to the WNBL in 2022 and moved to play in France in 2023, but then retired due to breast cancer. She came out of retirement in April 2025, but died after her health deteriorated dramatically in September 2025 as a result of the cancer.

Early life Tiana Cynthia Mangakahia was born in Meadowbrook, Queensland, on 21 April 1995, to father Terei, a Māori who emigrated from New Zealand to Australia in his late teens, and mother Cynthia from Queensland. Mangakahia grew up with five brothers, four older and one younger. In a 2020 story, ESPN journalist Aishwarya Kumar described the young Mangakahia as "a daredevil", regularly climbing a tall pole in the family's backyard and competing in various sports and games alongside her brothers. Her older brothers all played basketball, and she was first enrolled in a basketball camp with them. Mangakahia quickly took to the sport, with Kumar noting that "Even at age 8, when she was the smallest girl on the team, she'd run and pass the ball like a ninja, nimble and fast." At age 9, she was asked to play on her club's 12-and-under team, but her mother vetoed the move. In the Kumar piece, Mangakahia herself recalled, "I think that actually helped me so much, because you never know. What if I played [up] and just sat on the bench the whole time? I probably would've not enjoyed basketball."

Mangakahia played basketball as a junior for the Southern Districts Spartans. She accepted a scholarship at Brisbane State High School in Brisbane. While in Canberra at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), she attended Lake Ginninderra Secondary College.

Basketball career Early years Mangakahia debuted in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) in 2011 with the Brisbane Spartans. She made her debut in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) in 2011–12 with the Australian Institute of Sport.

Mangakahia's next stint came in the 2013–14 WNBL season with the Townsville Fire. but she did not play in any games.

In 2017, Mangakahia joined Syracuse University.

She emerged as a star in her second season at Syracuse in 2018–19, averaging 16.9 points, 8.4 assists, and 4.9 rebounds while leading the Orange to a 25–9 record and a No. 3 seed, the program's highest ever, in the NCAA tournament, earning first-team All-ACC honours and All-America honourable mention.

In 20 games in the 2020–21 season, Mangakahia averaged 11.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game. She subsequently earned All-ACC Honorable Mention.

Post-college After going undrafted in the 2021 WNBA draft, Mangakahia spent training camp with the Phoenix Mercury. She then returned to Australia and joined the Northside Wizards in the NBL1 North. In nine games for the Wizards during the 2021 NBL1 season, she averaged 18.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game. In 16 games, she averaged 14.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

Mangakahia joined the Sydney Flames for the 2022–23 WNBL season. In 20 games, she averaged 13.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.2 steals per game. Mangakahia moved to France where she played five games for Toulouse Métropole Basket to finish the 2022–23 season.

In April 2025, Mangakahia came out of retirement to join the Southern Districts Spartans for the 2025 NBL1 North season. She was a member of the Spartans' grand final team, but did not play in the three-game losing series to the Logan Thunder. In 13 games, she averaged 12.08 points, 2.15 rebounds, 3.54 assists and 2.15 steals per game.

National team

Youth level Mangakahia made her international debut for the Sapphires at the 2011 FIBA Oceania Under-16 Championship in Canberra, Australia. Mangakahia would then make her debut for the Gems at the FIBA Oceania Under-18 Championship, where she took home gold. She would then go on to represent the Gems at the Under-19 World Championship in Lithuania the following year, where they finished in third place and took home the bronze medal.

Senior level In April 2019, coming off a breakout season at Syracuse, Mangakahia was named to the Opals' preliminary roster for the 2020 Summer Olympics, but was forced to bow out due to a cancer diagnosis. In May 2021, she missed the women's team roster ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, which was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.

Career statistics + Legend GP Games played GS Games started MPG Minutes per game FG% Field goal percentage 3P% 3-point field goal percentage FT% Free throw percentage RPG Rebounds per game APG Assists per game SPG Steals per game BPG Blocks per game TO Turnovers per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high * Led Division I

College

Personal life Mangakahia was a Latter-day Saint.

Illness and death In 2023, Mangakahia's breast cancer had returned, diagnosed at stage IV, and it had metastasised. On 4 September 2025, Mangakahia announced that she was "experiencing significant physical decline" after the cancer had progressed. She died one week later, on 11 September in Brisbane, at the age of 30.