Tiana Mangakahia should be at the peak of her powers as one of Australia's great guards.
It wasn't injury, a lack of work ethic, or attitude that contributed to her basketball dreams never being fulfilled, but the insidious disease that is cancer. It decimated her career and eventually her body. Mangakahia died on Thursday night, surrounded by family and friends, aged 30.
A proud Queenslander and Australian junior representative, Mangakahia was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019 while at college in the United States, she underwent chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, and reconstructive treatment.
She fought it and made an all-inspiring comeback to the court with her beloved Syracuse college outfit. The career she dreamed of and worked so hard for was now in motion.
In 2021, Mangakahia reached a career high, winning bronze with the Opals at the FIBA Asia Cup. She then earned a WNBA training camp with Phoenix Mercury and was on-court with one of her heroes, Diana Taurasi. She earned the admiration of the basketball legend and was warmly embraced by Taurasi's wife, fellow Australian and Opals champion, Penny Taylor.
Returning home, Mangakahia suited up with the Sydney Flames in the WNBL on home soil.
Then the cancer, now stage four, returned in 2023 and she was forced into retirement. She turned her hand to coaching, with Sydney, where she was able to continue her involvement in the game she loved. It gave her days and weeks structure and purpose.
This year, she returned to the court with her hometown team Southern District Spartans in NBL1 North. She had signed to play in New Zealand with the Tokomanawa Queens in their upcoming season, but her health deteriorated dramatically in recent weeks. Tragically, the end was near.
In pure basketball terms, Mangakahia had what it took. She had a high basketball IQ, was a prolific three-point shooter, strong and tough with a natural feel for the game. People often commented that she was fun to watch.
She also had a sense of occasion. In February 2023, the Southside Flyers hosted a tribute game for Australia's greatest ever basketballer Lauren Jackson at Melbourne's John Cain Arena. The Flyers were flying while their opponent Sydney had endured a tumultuous period following the departure of coach Shane Heal.
Jackson was injured in the opening minutes and it felt like the air had been taken out of the celebration. Enter Mangakahia.
She rose to the occasion, putting on a three-point show and amassing a WNBL-career-high 26 points. And when she converted from the free throw line with four seconds remaining, she earned her team victory by a point. An arena setting with a heaving crowd, taking her team on her back, it was what Mangakahia was made for.
Her illness meant her potential was never reached but she had a small taste of all that she was destined, and good enough, for: WNBL, representing her country, and the WNBA.
Before the cancer hit a second time, she was on the cusp of the Opals squad, but sadly never reached a major tournament.
'T' as she was affectionately known, played sport like she lived her life, with passion, bubbly enthusiasm and a bright smile. She always had fun.
As much as it cruelled her, Mangakahia embraced what she faced. She lost her hair multiple times and would often rock an array of wigs and various hairstyles. She openly shared her experiences and documented her journey and treatment on social media. That attitude saw the basketball community embrace her.
For someone who had a flair for fashion, it seemed fitting she was plastered across a range of t-shirts that were made to support her and raise money for breast cancer. She only recently co-designed an outfit for the Queens, which is being sold online and at their upcoming home games.
The Hoops Capital turned pink in both their WNBL and NBL fixtures, in conjunction with the McGrath Foundation, with a dedicated fixture and fundraising effort in recent years. Mangakahia would present a Player of the Game award to the MVP in each respective game. It's a tradition that will live on, like her legacy.
At Sydney, they look after their own and supported her incredibly well, first as a player and then as a member of staff, ensuring she had everything she needed, including an income, purpose, and an active connection to the game.
She is a Spartan through and through and the Brisbane basketball community has cocooned her and her family. It's also impossible to measure the awareness and money they've raised while rallying around her.
Many talented athletes never reach the heights they are capable of. It's often coined a sporting tragedy. Mangakahia scratched the surface of basketball and life. She had so much more life to live. Her passing is a tragedy, but there is some comfort in knowing that in her final months she spent time where she was happiest, on a basketball court, and was able to travel abroad with friends.
Taken way too soon. Vale, Tiana Mangakahia