INDIANAPOLIS — Tammi Reiss called most of Syracuse’s upperclassmen over to her during a practice in the preseason. The assistant coach asked them to write down their goals for the season on an index card. Some put down tangible expectations — win an Atlantic Coast Conference championship and advance to the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight for the first time in school history.

Six months later, Reiss placed the cards on the players’ chairs in the Orange’s locker room before its matchup with Tennessee last weekend. No. 4 seed SU (29-7, 13-3 ACC) won that game by 22 and reached the Final Four, where it will face No. 7 seed Washington (26-10, 11-7 Pac-12) on Sunday night.

“On most of the cards, they had Elite Eight and they had reached their goal and I just handed them out to them and said, ‘What’s next?’ They said, ‘Final Four,’” Reiss said. “It was the right time. … I’m like, ‘OK, you all did it, you’re here. What’s your next goal?’ and they all said out loud, ‘Final Four.’”

Later that day Syracuse reached that goal too, and here’s a look back at what each player that filled out a goal card put down:

Brianna Butler: “Oh my god that was so long ago. Make it to at least the Elite Eight. Minimum. Go to the ACC championship and it was beat whatever teams we lost to last year in the ACC I said to beat. Which we pretty much did it all except for the Notre Dame one.

“It kind of sucks we didn’t get that one against Notre Dame. My card would have been completed but it’s really good to know that you were able to accomplish most of your goals. All except one.”

Alexis Peterson: “To beat three Top 25 teams, to make it to the Elite Eight and to win the ACC championship.

“We’ve done very well to this point and we’ve succeeded and exceeded all of our expectations that we’ve had for ourselves and what others had so I think it’s great that we’ve gotten to this point.”

Briana Day: “Make it past the second round in the NCAA tournament. Go undefeated in conference. I believe I said win the ACC. Two of those goals didn’t happen but we definitely made it past the second round. We’re here at the Final Four.”

Maggie Morrison: “My card was I wanted to get signature wins in the Top 25 and we did that. I wanted to make it past the Sweet 16. We did that. I wanted to win the ACC championship. Unfortunately, we fell short to Notre Dame, but we got there for the first time in program history so that was a big accomplishment. And then I said I just want to take it as far as we can. I want to play together. Play well. Get some wins.”

Cornelia Fondren: “Cohesiveness, playing together and having fun.

“We had our goals at the beginning of the season. Now it’s time to get the biggest goal, obviously to win the championship.”

Taylor Ford: “I only had three things: play together as a team, win the ACC championship and go to the Elite Eight.”

“I was laughing because I was like, ‘Oh wow, like we’re here.’ Also it said win the ACC championship, obviously we fell short of that. It was just crazy to think at the beginning of the season what my goal was and actually being there was an amazing feeling. But I didn’t want to suggest end at the Elite Eight. Obviously it didn’t, but it was crazy.”

Isabella Slim: “It was funny because after we got them back, everyone was kind of the same. Mine was passing the NCAA second round and preferably going to the Elite Eight or even better. Then I wanted to, I don’t remember. I just remember laughing. Besides that, I wanted to win the ACC tournament, which didn’t happen, but I’m just really happy looking at it right now.

Brittney Sykes: “I put that I wanted the team to have unity and understanding. I knew most of our upperclassmen that were in the room they were going to put goals of going to the Elite Eight and winning the ACC championship and I’m more of the little things. Yes, that would be great thinking in the beginning of going to the Elite Eight, but to get to those points you want to have unity, understanding.”

Syracuse head coach Quentin Hillsman muttered “what does that mean?” while Sykes mentioned unity and understanding. Then he interrupted after Sykes finished her answer saying “Did you put down anything about making shots?”

“Uh, no,” Sykes said, “but I mean that’s something you have to do.”

“Just unity and understanding?” Hillsman said.

“We’re here because of that,” Sykes replied.

Published on April 2, 2016 at 7:53 pm

Contact Paul: pmschwed@syr.edu | @pschweds