Syracuse Basketball: Tiana Mangakahia has real shot at Olympic medal
By Neil Adler
Syracuse basketball star Tiana Mangakahia, in a much-deserved honor, is one of the newest members of the Australian women’s national team.
Tiana Mangakahia is aiming for a stellar senior year with Syracuse basketball and then, next summer, will hopefully earn a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
The 5-foot-6 guard, twice selected to the All-ACC first squad, earlier this week got named to the Australian women’s national team, according to a cuse.com announcement, noting that head coach Sandy Brondello added three new players along with Mangakahia to her roster.
Per the press release, Mangakahia and Oregon sophomore guard Jaz Shelley are the only two members of the Australian women’s national group who currently suit up at the collegiate level in the United States.
What a wonderful achievement for Mangakahia, who unfortunately had to sit out the 2019-20 campaign while she recovered from breast cancer. According to cuse.com, Mangakahia was thankfully determined to be cancer-free in November.
"“I just feel honored for this opportunity and I am excited to work with Coach Brondello and the team,” Mangakahia said in the media 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.”"
The Australian women’s national squad, nicknamed the Opals, will soon begin to prepare for next summer’s Tokyo Olympics, followed by the FIBA Asia Cup.
Cuse.com says that the Opals have qualified for nine Olympic Games, capturing silver medals in 2000, 2004 and 2008, as well as bronze medals in 1996 and 2012. The team also claimed the 2006 FIBA World Championship.
Mangakahia, a native of Brisbane, helped guide Australia to a third-place finish at the FIBA U19 World Cup in 2013, according to cuse.com.
She is expected to receive an NCAA waiver to compete for Syracuse basketball in 2020-21. The Orange women’s team returns multiple starters and also features an exquisite recruiting class.
Assuming Mangakahia is granted another term of eligibility, Syracuse basketball will have an even greater chance to contend for an Atlantic Coast Conference crown as well as make a deep run in the Big Dance.