Aussie basketball star, 28, delivers the crushing news that her breast cancer has returned and spread to the rest of her body – forcing her to retire: ‘I never thought I’d be writing this…’
- Tiana Mangakahia represented Australia
- Diagnosed with cancer in 2019, had it treated
- Now the disease has returned and spread
Basketball star Tiana Mangakahia has revealed that her battle with cancer has taken a heartbreaking turn in an emotional series of messages to her fans on social media.
The Sydney Flames player is believed to have beaten stage two breast cancer with whom she was diagnosed in 2019 after undergoing chemotherapy and a double mastectomy to battle the disease.
But on Monday, she announced that the cancer has returned and spread throughout her body, forcing her to give up the sport she loves.
“I never thought I’d be writing this until I was ready to have kids with my future husband. However, here we go,” she began on Instagram.
“Basketball has been a part of my life for 23 years. The experiences I have had and the amount of joy this great sport has brought me is too overwhelming to explain.
Tiana Mangakahia fought bravely to return to court after first developing breast cancer in 2019 and made it back in the WNBL with the Sydney Flames
The Queenslander has represented Australia in the juniors and excelled in US college basketball with Syracuse, leading to her being touted as a high draft pick in the US WNBA.
She broke the bad news to her fans in an Instagram post on Monday (pictured)
“I was recently diagnosed with stage IV cancer, which has spread to other parts of my body.
“Unfortunately, specialists have informed me that it is time to retire and think about life after being a professional athlete.”
After thanking the teammates, coaches and others she has met through the sport, she added, “I know that despite this horrible illness I will stay and surround myself with those who love and support me.
“I look forward to pursuing a career in coaching and giving back to the sport that has given me so much.”
Mangakahia played for the Townsville Fire and Sydney Flames in the WNBL, and played for Australia’s national under-16 side before making a name for herself with Syracuse University in the US NCAA college league.
She was named to the Opals roster for the 2020 Olympics and was considered a good bet to be a top pick in the US WNBA, but her first cancer diagnosis followed shortly after she was diagnosed with a lump in her hair in June 2019. found chest.
“I probably played the best basketball I’ve ever played, I was the strongest I’ve ever been — and when I was diagnosed, everything fell apart,” she recalled last year.
She underwent four months of chemotherapy while still in the US, followed by the double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery.
The 28-year-old played 20 games for the Flames (pictured) this year before receiving the devastating news that the disease had returned and spread
However, Mangakahia won’t be lost to the sport – she wants to become a coach and has the support of the Flames to do it
Mangakahia’s fighting spirit helped her through and she returned to court for Syracuse just a year after her diganosis.
The Queenslander missed out on the WNBA draft but took up then Sydney Flames coach Shane Heal’s offer to play for the side and made 20 appearances for the club this season.
Flames CEO Chris Pongrass said the team will support Mangakahia and help her stay in the sport.
“It’s hard to express how important Tiana has been to this organization,” he said.
“This news is truly devastating and we share our thoughts, prayers and love with Tiana and her family.”
Mangakahia’s parents and five brothers took turns staying with her in America while she was undergoing her chemotherapy.
“Going back to basketball, it was so hard,” she explained.
“It was probably a lot harder than going through it [the treatment]. When I came back, my game wasn’t the same, I wasn’t as fit, I was still on medication.’
The 28-year-old remains one of Syracuse’s best-ever players after becoming the fastest woman to score 1,000 points for the team.