BRISBANE, Australia — Former HutchCC recruit and graduate Tiana Mangakahia has signed a pro contract to play in Australia.
Shortly after she was cut from the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday night, former Syracuse Orange women’s basketball player Tiana Mangakahia signed with the NBL1 league’s Northside Wizards in her home country of Australia.
Mangakahia came to the United States from Brisbane six years ago to play college basketball.
According to a Syracuse University press release, Mangakahia was not drafted, but signed a training camp contract with fellow Australian Sandy Brondello and the Phoenix Mercury shortly after the draft. She was cut on the second-to-last day of camp. Mangakahia appeared in both of the Mercury’s preseason games, tallying 11 points and seven turnovers between the two scrimmages.
While at Syracuse, Mangakahia averaged 15.3 points and 8.7 assists in 85 games. Mangakahia was nicknamed the Assist Queen by ‘Cuse fans, as she led the nation in that category and set multiple records during her college career. She missed the 2019-20 season due to breast cancer and returned to the court last season. Mangakahia is Syracuse’s all-time leader in career assists and the fastest player to score 1,000 career points in program history.
The NBL1 league began in 2019 and has 58 teams divided into four conferences: North, South, Central, and West. Mangakahia’s Wizards play in the North Conference. This is the team’s first year in the NBL1. The Wizards compete at the Northside Indoor Sports Centre in Brisbane.
Tiana is coming off a program-changing career at Syracuse University where she became the 6th player in ‘Cuse history to receive All America status.
The Brisbane, Australia, native earned WBCA Division 1 Coaches All America Honorable Mention and Associated Press (AP) Honorable mention recognition after a record-setting junior season where she became the fastest player in program history to score 1,000 points and the all-time leader in career assists. After a stellar 5th-year season, in which Tiana led ‘Cuse to a second round NCAA berth whilst leading the nation in assists per game, she was picked up by the WNBA-Phoenix Mercury.
Head Coach Beck Stephens on the signing: "I am thrilled to have her … she is one of the best players I have ever coached, and she fits perfectly with our style of play. I love her competitiveness and constant tenaciousness on both ends of the floor. With her ability to create, mixed with our ability to spread the floor with shooters — it makes for an exciting brand of basketball."
President Brett Anderson said of Tiana’s signing: "Northside Wizards is super excited to have Tiana join us. Competing in the inaugural NBL1 North season is a major step forward for us, and we could not be happier having a player with Tiana’s qualities and talent to lead our women’s program. Everyone at the Association is looking forward to what promises to be an exciting season of basketball of the highest standard."
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