>> BEFORE WE GET TOO DEEP INTO THE BASKETBALL, I KNOW ONE OF THE MANTRAS FOR YOUR TEAM IS CHARACTER, ACADEMICS BASKETBALL.

WE ARE HERE AT THE START OF THE NEW SEMESTER.

THIS MOST RECENT SEMESTER, THE TEAM FINISHED WITH A CUMULATIVE 3.62 G.P.A.

HOW PROUD ARE YOU OF THIS GROUP?

>> WE WORK HARD.

THESE ARE LADIES THAT WE GO AFTER YOUNG PEOPLE THAT UNDERSTAND WHAT WE STAND FOR AND IN THIS NEW AGE OF THE WAY YOU RECRUIT, YOU JUST WANT TO WIN TO SAVE YOUR JOB AND ALL THOSE FUN THINGS.

BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I'M IN THE BUSINESS OF TRYING TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT YOU PUT BETWEEN YOUR EARS HAS TO SUSTAIN YOU FOR THE NEXT 70 PLUS YEARS OF YOUR LIFE AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.

IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO MY MOM.

WHEN SHE SENT ME TO SYRACUSE A COUPLE YEARS AGO, WHEN I WAS A STUDENT ATHLETE AND I STICK WITH THAT AND I REALLY HOLD OUR PLAYERS ACCOUNTABLE.

I THINK THE PARENTS OF THESE YOUNG LADIES THAT COME PLAY FOR ME ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

AND THESE YOUNG LADIES REALLY, IN A TIME OF TRAVEL AND THINGS THAT THEY DO, THEY TOOK THE ACADEMIC SIDE SERIOUS.

I HAD TWO YOUNG LADIES WITH A 4.0.

ONE WITH A.THE 3.93 MAJORING IN REPUTABLE MAJORS.

I'M EXCITED ABOUT WHERE THESE YOUNG LADIES ARE GOING TO BE IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS OF THEIR LIVES BECAUSE I KNOW THEY'RE GETTING A QUALITY EDUCATION AT SYRACUSE.

>> STANFORD COMES TO TOWN, A PROGRAM WITH A RICH TRADITION AND RICH LEGACY.

HOW EXCITED ARE YOU ABOUT THE CHALLENGE.

>> I'M ALWAYS EXCITED ABOUT THE CHALLENGE OF LEARNING FROM THIS GAME.

AND STANFORD ABSOLUTELY HAS RICH TRADITION AND THE ASSISTANT COACH HAS BEEN WITH TARA FOREVER.

AND NOW SHE IS THE HEAD COACH.

THEY HAVE THE SAME SYSTEM.

THE SAME PEDIGREE.

THE SAME ACADEMIC STANDARDS AND THE SAME TALENT.

SO WE HAVE OUR HANDS FULL, RIGHT.

WE HAVE TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT WE CAN'T PLAY STANFORD.

WE HAVE TO PLAY FOR SYRACUSE AND WHAT WE STAND FOR.

AND IF WE CAN GIVE OUR BEST VERSION OF OURSELVES, WE'LL FIND OUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AT THE END OF THE 40 PLUS MINUTES OF THE GAME.

>> IT WILL BE FUN.

GIRL SCOUTS DAY IN THE DOME.

WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO ALL THE YOUNG LADIES OUT THERE, ALL THE GIRLS OUT THERE TO COME AND SEE YOUR TEAM PLAY.

>> YES, YOU CAN.

YOU ARE ENOUGH.

YOUR FUTURE IS BRIGHT.

DON'T LET ANYBODY PIGEON HOLE YOU YOUNG GIRLS TO THINK THAT YOU ARE NOT THE BEST FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.

YOU MUST BELIEVE THAT LIFE AUTOS IS EASY WHEN YOU BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.

I AM EXCITED ABOUT THE FAN BASE, TOO.

THAT'S ALWAYS THE MOST EXCITING TIME FOR ME BECAUSE THE ENERGY IN THE ROOM AND THE THINGS THAT OUR KIDS FEEL WHEN THEY SEE YOUNG GIRLS THAT LOOK UP TO THEM AND WANT TO EMULATE THEM; HOW THEY PLAY AND PERFORM AS WELL.

SO I'M EXCITED, VERY EXCITED FOR MORE THAT THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

>> YEAH, AFTER THAT STANFORD GAME, YOUR TEAM WILL GO BACK ON THE ROAD AT NORTH CAROLINA.

THIS TEAM, THIS GROUP HAS BEEN EXCEPTIONAL ON THE ROAD IN CONFERENCE PLAY.

WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS KEYED YOUR ABILITY TO GO OUT AND TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE IN ANY ARENA IN THE COUNTRY THIS YEAR?

>> THAT'S WHAT IT'S ABOUT.

ANY PLACE, ANY TIME.

I WANT TO SHOW THE WORLD WHAT MY DREAMS LOOK LIKE IN MY EYES AND HOW DO I GET TO DO THAT?

GIVE ME 94 FEET, THREE OFFICIALS AND ANOTHER TEAM, WHEREVER THAT MAY BE.

AT HOME, AWAY, AT THE PARK.

I REALLY WANT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO BELIEVE THAT WHEN YOU PUT THOSE SNEAKERS ON AND IT'S YOUR LOVE AND WHAT YOU WANT TO EMBRACE AS SOMETHING THAT YOU STAND FOR AS YOUR DREAM, SHOW THE WORLD YOUR BEST EFFORT.

YOU MIGHT MISS A SHOT.

YOU MIGHT MISS A LAYUP OR YOU MIGHT TURN THE BALL OVER.

GUESS WHAT?

JUST GIVE YOUR BEST EFFORT SO THE WORLD CAN KNOW YOUR DREAMS MEAN EVERYTHING TO YOU.

SO WE GO ON THE ROAD.

WE PLAY 'EM AT HOME.

WE ARE GOING TO HOPEFULLY GIVE OUR BEST EFFORT.

>> ONCE AGAIN, THE BANK OF AMERICA HARD HAT IS BACK OUT AND MAKING AN APPEARANCE ON "GAMECHANGERS."

AFTER THE WAKE FOREST GAME, LAILA PHELIA WAS AWARDED THE HARD HAT.

WHAT DID SHE DO TO EARN IT ON THAT DAY.

>> SHE IS PLAYING FREE.

SHE IS HAVING FUN.

SHE IS ON THE LIGHTS AND EVERYBODY IS HANGING OUT AND SHE IS MAKING JOKES AND SHE IS DOING VIDEOS AND SHE IS HAVING-- IN MY OPINION, THE BEST TIME OF HER LIFE.

AND IT SHOWS WHEN SHE GETS ON THAT BASKETBALL COURT.

SO SHE IS NOT A FLUKE WHY SHE IS THE BANK OF AMERICA HARD HAT RECIPIENT BECAUSE SHE IS PLAYING FREE AND HER TEAMMATES ARE BUYING INTO IT AND THEY'RE FEEDING HER THE BALL AND THEY'RE GETTING HER REBOUNDS AND GETTING IT BACK OUT TO HER.

LAILA PHELIA IS JUST PURE JOY.

SO IT'S A NEAT-- IT'S REALLY NEAT WHEN SHE GETS THESE ACCOLADES BECAUSE SHE IS THE ONE KID THAT DON'T WANT THEM.

SHE IS LIKE NO, IT'S ABOUT THE TEAM.

YEAH, IT'S ABOUT THE TEAM BUT BECAUSE WE ARE ON YOUR SHOULDER, WE CAN BECOME.

>> WHEN YOU HAVE ALL THOSE PEOPLE ON YOUR SHOULDER, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE A HARD HAT.

>> LET'S GO!

THAT'S FUN.

CONGRADULATIONS TO HER.