Tiana Mangakahia had a dream to get drafted in the WNBA. On Thursday night, that dream unfortunately did not become a reality for the former Syracuse University star, though she did find a home in the league by night's end.
Coming into the night, SU's all-time assist leader was projected as a No. 27 pick by ESPN's Mechelle Voepel. Thirty-six names were called, and Tiana was not one of them.
Mangakahia posted on Twitter later Thursday that she has signed a training camp contract with the Phoenix Mercury.
Tiana was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer in June 2019, and after undergoing eight rounds of chemotherapy treatments and a double mastectomy, she was declared cancer-free in the fall.
She sat out during the 2019-20 season as she recovered and then returned to the floor for her redshirt senior season. During that time, she led the nation in assists and was a Nancy Lieberman Award finalist.