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Syracuse point guard Tiana Mangakahia was selected to Australia’s Senior Women’s National basketball team on Monday, head coach Sandy Brondello announced. 

Mangakahia is one of four newcomers to the nation’s highest squad and will have an opportunity to compete at the Tokyo Olympics next summer. She hasn’t played in a game for SU since March 2019, one month before she last worked out with the Australian national team and two months before she was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. The Brisbane native has been cancer-free since November.

“Syracuse is my second home now,” Mangakahia said to the Carrier Dome crowd in February. “I probably wouldn’t have been able to make it through without everyone’s support.”

In just two seasons with the Orange, Mangakahia has become the program’s all-time assists leader (591) and has earned consecutive All-Atlantic Coast first-team selections.

Mangakahia has represented Australia at the youth level and was part of the 2013 U-19 squad that secured a third-place finish at the FIBA U19 World Cup — the country’s best showing since 1997.

“I just feel honored for this opportunity and I am excited to work with Coach Brondello and the team,” Mangakahia said in an SU Athletics release. “It’s always been my dream of mine to play for my country in the Olympics and I am one step closer to that.”

Australia hosts the FIBA women’s World Cup in 2022. The nation last hosted the tournament in 1994 and placed fourth.

Published on July 14, 2020 at 5:08 pm

Contact Tim: tnolan@syr.edu