Sports · Basketball · 15 hrs ago
Tiana Mangakahia’s family turns her legacy into support for young women with cancer
Tiana Mangakahia was an Australian basketball player who represented the Opals and played for teams in Australia, Russia, France and the United States.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer after being named in Australia’s preliminary squad for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
After surgery and treatment, she returned to play at Syracuse University and was later declared cancer free.
The cancer returned in 2023, but Mangakahia made another comeback in 2025 with the Southern District Spartans in Queensland’s NBL1 North.
She died in Brisbane on September 11, aged 30.
Her family has launched Tough4T, a charity that funds support for young women with breast cancer.
At a Brisbane Bullets game against the South East Melbourne Phoenix, money from pink-shirt auctions and sponsor donations for three-pointers will go to the charity.
Tiana Mangakahia’s family launched Tough4T, a charity to support young women with breast cancer.
Mangakahia, a former Opals guard, died in Brisbane on September 11 at age 30, after her cancer returned.
She had returned to basketball in 2025 with the Southern District Spartans’ NBL1 North side.
The charity was an idea Mangakahia proposed before her death.
Proceeds from an auction of pink warm-up shirts at a Brisbane Bullets game are set to go to Tough4T.
- Who
- Tiana Mangakahia’s family launched Tough4T in her honour.
- What
- The charity provides funding for young women with breast cancer.
- When
- The article was published on October 12, 2026. Mangakahia died on September 11.
- Where
- Mangakahia died in Brisbane. The article does not state where Tough4T is based.
- Why
- The family launched the charity to carry on Mangakahia’s work supporting young women with breast cancer.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Mangakahia received her breast cancer diagnosis.
Mangakahia was declared cancer free and returned to play for Syracuse.
Her cancer returned.
Mangakahia returned to basketball with the Southern District Spartans’ NBL1 North side.
Mangakahia died in Brisbane aged 30.
SMH reported that her family had launched Tough4T in her honour.
- Charity
- Tough4T
- Purpose
- Funding for young women with breast cancer
- Age at death
- 30
- Date of death
- September 11
- Death location
- Brisbane
- 2025 comeback team
- Southern District Spartans’ NBL1 North side
What people are saying
She started saying when you’re young and get breast cancer, you don’t have long-service leave built up, you don’t have sick leave built …
She taught us this was important, and something she started to get the ball rolling on before her passing
No one should ever have to go through that, but the way she handled it and mentally prepared herself for trainings and games was unbelievable.
Sources
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