Strong, tough and brave.

Those are the words Tiana Mangakahia uses to describe herself, as she fights breast cancer for a second time.

"When I look myself in the mirror, what I'm going through, I think continue to be brave, strong and tough, and keep moving forward," the 28-year-old told ABC Sport.

"And I believe I got that from my family, my parents, and I'm so grateful for them."

Mangakahia was first diagnosed with breast cancer four and a half years ago, while she was playing college basketball in the USA.

She recovered and returned to the court for Syracuse University, before coming back to the WNBL last season with the Sydney Flames.

Post-season, she was in pain, and was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer, meaning the cancer spread to other parts of her body — forcing her into retirement.

"When I was first diagnosed, I was really upset all the time, everyday crying," she said.

"And I'm sure that's normal, but in my life that's not normal."

Mangakahia says the support of her family, including her parents and brothers has been instrumental, along with the help of her best friend, and Sydney Flames guard Vanessa Panousis.

"We've obviously had our tears and had our down time," Panousis said.

"But we also try to stay really positive for each other. I think that helps her be able to get through such a tough time."

Coaching job a turning point

Mangakahia is from Brisbane and spent most of last year there, undergoing treatment.

But she wanted to stay connected to basketball and reached out to Sydney Kings and Flames CEO Chris Pongrass.

She was appointed an assistant coach alongside Renae Garlepp, working under interim head coach Guy Molloy.

And that proved to be a turning point.

"When this happens to you, you just don't know what to expect," Mangakahia said.

"You don't know what your life is going to be like, with anything, like with relationships, with friendships with family.

"I think that's helped me so much."

Panousis says she's seen a shift in her friend since she moved back to Sydney.

"She's really thriving in her coaching role," Panousis said.

"Being able to transition from such an elite player that she was into a coaching position is really hard. And she's done it at an awesome level."

For Mangakahia, the transition to coaching has been straightforward.

"[The players] treat me like a coach, they respect me, and I respect them," she said.

"The biggest thing being around them is having that confidence in myself and them having the confidence in me to ask me questions."

Living free

Last year, while playing, Mangakahia came up with the idea of a Pink Game.

And this year, the club expanded the concept to a Pink Hoops double header, featuring the Flames and the Kings, to raise money for the McGrath Foundation.

When Mangakahia was in Brisbane she opted not to have a breast care nurse.

But when she returned to Sydney, she decided to reach out to the McGrath Foundation.

"This weekend was so special, because I know what it's like firsthand to have my own breast care nurse," she said.

"And I know how important that is for patients who are going through this. So that pink game, it meant a lot to me."

She's currently undergoing treatment and trying to remain positive for the road ahead.

"It's really weird when you get diagnosed, and you have to think about your future because the doctors tell you things that you don't really want to hear," she said.

"But when I think about my future, I do, and I want to play again.