Mangakahia’s journey leading towards the WNBA

She is dominating at one of the biggest colleges in the US and now a Redlands basketball product is pushing towards the WNBA.

Syracuse guard Tiana Mangakahia scrambles for the ball during an NCAA college basketball game in Louisville, Kentucky. Picture: Timothy D. Easley/AP Photo

SYRACUSE, New York.

It’s a long way from the basketball courts at the Redlands PCYC and where the journey all started for Tiana Mangakahia.

More than 15,000km away in fact.

But both played pivotal roles for Mangakahia, who has become one of the best players in US college basketball and is ready to chase her dream of playing in the WNBA and representing her country with the Australian Opals.

“When I think back to when I started playing basketball at Redlands when I was five, it was really just for fun and I never thought of it to be my career,” Mangakahia said.

“I would always play with any team that needed an extra player and loved playing with or against my five brothers. When I started getting older and realising my potential I was around the age of 11 and that was when I started saying I want to play in the WNBA.”

Mangakahia was a standout in junior basketball with the Southern Districts Spartans before making Queensland state teams and then earning a scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport.

Tiana Mangakahia in action for the Townsville Fire in 2014. Picture: Fiona Harding

She then played WNBL for the Townsville Fire in 2014 and won a SEABL championship with the Spartans in the same year.

The former Brisbane State High School student spent two seasons at junior college in the US before joining the illustrious school that is Syracuse University, where NBA stars such as Carmelo Anthony shaped their game.

It wasn’t until joining Syracuse that Mangakahia fully realised her potential and the 23-year-old is now arguably the best point guard in US women’s college basketball, averaging 15.8 points per game along with leading division one basketball in assists with 9.8 per contest.

“There have been a lot of things that have helped me succeed here at Syracuse, one in particular would be my junior college coaches at Hutchinson Community College who bought me over to the US and had faith in me,” Mangakahia said.

Syracuse guard Tiana Mangakahia attempts a layup past the defence of Louisville. Picture: AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley

“Another is Coach Q (Quinton Hillsman) and the way he loves to push the ball and gives me that freedom on the court. As well as encouraging me to be more of a scoring point guard and not only to pass.

“This experience has been amazing I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. Not only the basketball side of things but also the environment here.”

Mangakahia has a bright future ahead of her with the WNBA calling but she has something else on her mind right now.

My goal right now is to help the team win NCAA championship,” she said.

“Then after college I want to play in the WNBA and learn from the best. I would also love to play for the Opals that has always been a dream of mine.”