Tiana Mangakahia, a former women’s basketball standout at Syracuse, has retired from basketball after being diagnosed with a recurrence of cancer.
The Brisbane, Australia, native announced her retirement Sunday on social media. After competing for Syracuse from 2017 to 2021, she returned to Australia to play professionally.
In June 2019, during her time at Syracuse, Mangakahia was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma. She stayed in Syracuse for treatment, having a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. After being declared cancer free, she returned to play 20 games during the 2020-21 season.
She averaged 15.8 points, 8.7 assists and 4.1 rebounds during her three years playing for the Orange.
I’m very lucky to have the best family and support system as I tackle this next phase of my life. 🖤 pic.twitter.com/k04IFsileB
— Tiana Mangakahia (@Tianamanga) June 5, 2023
“Without going into too much detail, I have recently been diagnosed with stage IV cancer, which has spread into other areas of my body,” Mangakahia posted Sunday. “Sadly, I have been informed by specialists it’s time for me to retire and think about life after being a professional athlete.
“While my basketball journey on court has come to a close, this won’t be the last time you see me involved in the sport. Even though my journey is uncertain, what I am certain about is my passion for life and bringing greater awareness throughout the community about this nasty disease.”
Mangakahia intends to pursue a career in coaching, she said Sunday.
“The experiences I have endured and the amount of joy this amazing sport has brought me is too overwhelming to explain,” she wrote. “I would like to thank everyone who has been a part of my journey. There have been ups and downs throughout my career and life. I know regardless of this horrible disease, I will continue to be ME and surround myself with those who love and support me.
“Cancer does scare me, but not living my life to the fullest scares me even more.”
Conference tournament upsets are wreaking havoc on the margins of the NCAA Tournament ahead of Selection Sunday.
Portland swooped in to steal a bid with its upset of No. 16 Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference final, while South Florida’s loss to Wichita State in the American Athletic quarterfinals means another team from that conference will snag a spot. With Gonzaga and South Florida as clear at-large selections, the other teams on the bubble should be sweating.
Syracuse, Nebraska, Purdue and St. John’s are among the teams in the running for the last at-large berths. With conference tournaments ongoing through the weekend, here are the tournaments and the teams the bubble hopefuls need to watch.
Conference USA
Middle Tennessee State sits at No. 25 in the AP poll. The Blue Raiders (25-4) are a lock as an at-large bid if they do not win their conference’s automatic bid. They’ll start their quest for the title with a quarterfinal matchup against Charlotte at 12 p.m. ET Thursday. If they lose, that will be another space off the board for bubble teams.
Ivy League
Princeton and Columbia are both in the running for NCAA Tournament berths heading into the Ivy League tournament. If all goes to plan, the first- and second-seeded teams will meet in the championship game at 5 p.m. ET Saturday, and then both should hear their names called on Selection Sunday.
If Penn or Harvard manages an upset in Friday’s semifinal round, the loser could find themselves out of the tournament field. Or, if Princeton and Columbia manage to stay in the field of 68, that would burst another team’s bubble.
👀 Eyes on the prize 🏆 #IvyMadness #RoarLionRoar #EDGE #NCAAWBB #ChampWeek pic.twitter.com/TzwonM0dOE
— Columbia Women's Basketball (@CULionsWBB) March 6, 2023
Mountain West
The Runnin’ Rebels have streaked to a 30-2 record overall and a perfect 18-0 record in the Mountain West. They have looked unstoppable against conference competition — but if they run into a wall against Wyoming in the championship game at 10 p.m. ET Wednesday, that would spell trouble for the teams vying for one of the final spots.
It’s March and we’re still playing. pic.twitter.com/pqT73VrPZr
— UNLV Lady Rebels (@UNLVLadyRebels) March 8, 2023
Felisha Legette-Jack has been named as the new Syracuse women’s basketball coach, with the school announcing the news on Saturday.
A 1989 graduate of Syracuse and former player, Legette-Jack, will return to the school as the seventh head coach in program history.
Legette-Jack comes to Syracuse by way of Buffalo, where she coached for ten seasons, posting five 20-win campaigns. Buffalo ended the 2021-2022 season with a 25-9 record and were 14-1 at home. Legette-Jack has also led programs at Indiana and Hofstra.
🍊 She's coming home 🍊 pic.twitter.com/SOgPCZvVMk
— 'Cuse Hoops (@CuseWBB) March 26, 2022
“I’m coming home! These words bring me great joy,” Legette-Jack said in a statement. “I thank Chancellor Syverud and Director of Athletics John Wildhack for this amazing opportunity. It is a privilege and an honor to accept this position as your next head women’s basketball coach. The love that I have for our city, our University, and our Athletics Department cannot be measured.”
Legette-Jack replaces Vonn Read, who served as acting head coach for the 2021-2022 season after Quentin Hillsman’s resignation.
“We are thrilled to have Coach Legette-Jack lead our Women’s Basketball program,” said Wildhack. “She is a builder of programs, evidenced by the success she had at the University at Buffalo. She is totally committed to the full development of every student-athlete and staff member who is part of her program. On behalf of Syracuse Athletics, all our alumni and fans around the globe, we welcome Coach Legette-Jack and her family back to Syracuse University and Central New York.”