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Tiana Mangakahia, who became celebrity during her out-of-competition race with the Syracuse female basketball team, died, her family announced on Friday. She was 30 years old.
After his collegial career, Mangakahia played professional basketball abroad, with stays in Russia, France and Australia.
The mangakahia family said that the loss of their beloved had left them at the heart of the heart but remembered “the courage and grace” of the former athlete.
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Syracuse Tiana Mangakahia’s Orange Guard (4) looks before the match against NC State Wolfpack at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York on February 28, 2021. (Rich Barnes / USA TODAY SPORTS)
“We have a broken heart to share the death of our magnificent Tiana Mangakahia,” wrote the family on the mangakahia social media account. “She left us [Thursday]Surrounded by family, friends and a lot of love. Tiana was a brilliant light that touched the lives of all those she met with her kindness, strength and warmth. She fought to the right until the end, showing courage and grace beyond words. “”
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Mangakahia received a diagnosis of breast cancer in 2019. She underwent eight chemotherapy cycles and two operations. She had suspended her WNBA ambitions in April of the same year and finally decided to return to Syracuse for her last year of eligibility.
“Syracuse Athletics is crying for the death of Tiana Mangakahia,” said Syracuse sports director John Wildhack, in a statement. “Tiana defined courage, inspiration and passion. An All-American on the basketball court, she was an even better person off the field.”
A new cancer diagnosis during the international mangakahia career forced him to move away from the court. Later, she pivoted training.
Tiana Mangakahia des Flames went to the basket during the Wnbl match in the Channel between Sydney Flames and Melbourne Boomers at the Quay Center, on February 19, 2023, in Sydney, Australia. (Jenny Evans / Getty images)
The male team of Sydney Kings and the Flames female team in Sydney organized a double head last year which also served as a collection of breast cancer awareness for Mangakahia. She was an assistant with the flames at the time.
Syracuse Orange Guard Tiana Mangakahia (4) Dribble the court against the NC State Wolfpack in a match at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York on February 28, 2021. (Rich Barnes / USA TODAY SPORTS)
“We are deeply saddened to learn the death of Tiana Mangakahia,” Australia basketball said in a statement. “Tiana inspired us all with her courage and resilience while she was facing a second battle against breast cancer. Her return to court in the NBL1 earlier this year with the Spartans of the Southern districts was a powerful reflection of her strength, her determination and her lasting love for the game.”
