Syracuse Basketball: Tiana Mangakahia granted waiver for return

Syracuse basketball star Tiana Mangakahia is granted a waiver by the NCAA. Mangakahia will be eligible to compete for the Orange during the 2020-21 season.

The women’s Syracuse basketball team received great news for their upcoming campaign as Tiana Mangakahia was granted eligible for the upcoming 2020-2021 campaign. Mangakahia returns after missing last season because of her battle with Stage 2 breast cancer.

Mangakahia will be given a sixth year of eligibility because of the extenuating circumstances due to her diagnosis last season that put a pause on her collegiate basketball career.  Syracuse Women’s Basketball’s official Twitter account released the news of the granted wavier Friday morning.

Mangakahia has been participating in the team’s offseason workouts on campus, “for several weeks,” according to Syracuse.com’s Lindsay Kramer. The Orange will not only return one of the most talented players in program history but the heart and soul of the current team and indispensable leadership.

Looking at the current roster Mangakahia makes one of the most interesting backcourts in the country. Mangakahia and redshirt senior Kiara Lewis lead one of the most talented groups in the nation.

With Mangakahia missing the past season, Lewis became one of the most improved players in the league starting all 30 games. While her scoring was impressive, seeing a jump from 8.4 points a contest to 17.6 points and the only Orange to average over 10 a game a year ago, her ability to be the lead guard and playmaker took off as well.

Lewis averaged 1.9 assists and a 1.5 assist to turnover margin in 22.3 minutes a game her sophomore season. Last year her assists were an even five a game while she did see her turnover to assist margin drop. Emily Engstler who finished second on the team in assists will only benefit from another ballhandler and playmaker on the floor.

Playing off the ball might also benefit Lewis and her scoring efficiency as she will be in more catch-and-shoot opportunities or receiving a pass after someone like Mangakahia breaks down the defense and is attempting to then react and recover as Lewis attacks.

On the leadership and mentor side, Mangakahia’s presence on the floor in practice alone will be a major plus for the talented recruiting class that Coach Quentin Hillsman has recruited to Syracuse, a recruiting class that includes five new guards including ESPN’s number three guard Priscilla Williams.

Syracuse is a presumed top 25 team in 2020-2021, but if March Madness returns in 2021, the Orange will deserve to be in the conversation as a National Championship hopeful.