Syracuse mourns the loss of former basketball star Tiana Mangakahia 

Syracuse basketball alumna and cherished member of the Orange community Tiana Mangakahia lost her battle to breast cancer at the age of 30 on Thursday, Syracuse athletics announced.

“Tiana defined courage, inspiration, and passion,” athletic director John Wildhack said in a released statement on Friday. “An All-American on the basketball court, she was an even better person off the court. She was kind, considerate, caring, and always uplifting even during the most challenging of times.”

Mangakahia died surrounded by her friends and family, her family wrote on social media. 

Playing point guard for the Orange from 2017-2021, Mangakahia excelled on the court, earning All-America and All-ACC honors. She entered SU record books as a two-time WBCA Division I Coaches All-America Honorable Mention selection and was the program leader in career assists (736), assists per game (8.7) and free throw percentage (.873). 

Mangakahia was honored as the 2018-19 Syracuse Female Athlete of the Year and helped advance SU to three NCAA Tournaments, including a top-16 seed. 

On June 18, 2019 Mangakahia was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer and underwent a successful surgery in November, causing her to miss the 2019-2020 season. 

She returned to the court the following year to finish her final year of eligibility. She was honored by the ACC in 2021 with the Bob Bradley Spirit and Courage Award and was also a recipient of the Syracuse 8 Courage Award. 

Head coach Felisha Legette-Jack remembers Mangakahia as a true embodiment of Syracuse women’s basketball. 

“We talk about ‘We Fight On’ with our women’s basketball team,” Legette-Jack said in the statement. “Tiana embraced it, she lived it and inspired others through her fight. We are fortunate to have had Tiana as one of our own. Her legacy will live forever at Syracuse.”  

After her collegiate career, Mangakahia played professionally in Russia, France and her home country of Australia. 

She stepped away from basketball in 2023 when her cancer returned, but made a brief comeback in 2025 with her hometown Southern District Spartans in Australia’s NB1, closing out the season with 12.1 points and 3.6 assists per game.

“Tiana was a shining light who touched the lives of everyone she met with her kindness, strength, and warmth,” her family wrote. “She fought right till the very end, showing courage and grace beyond words.”