>>> COLLEGE BASKETBALL'S MOST FAMOUS FAN, SISTER DREAM, IS FINALLY TELLING HER OWN STORY.

AT 103 YEARS OLD, THE LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO MATRIARCH IS RELEASING MMR, WAKE UP WITH PURPOSE.

WHAT I LEARNED IN MY FIRST 100 YEARS.

HERE TO TELL US ALL ABOUT HER NEW BOOK IS SISTER JANE, DOLORES SMITH, CAPTAIN OF LAWYERS AND UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM .

SISTER, WELCOME TO CHICAGO TONIGHT.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU.

I'M DELIGHTED TO BE HERE BUT >> YOU WERE APPROACHED A NUMBER OF TIMES ABOUT WRITING A BOOK TELLING YOUR STORY, AND YOU OFTEN SAID NO.

WHAT DROVE YOU TO WRITE YOUR MEMOIR NOW?

>> WELL , AFTER I DENIED EVERYBODY ELSE , THEN MY DAUGHTER, JUST BEFORE SCHOOL, OPEN SETH DAVIS, CALLED ME AFTER HE HAD TALKED WITH HER , AND PORTER SENT TO HIM, OH, YOU KNOW, SHE SHOULD LEARN ABOUT IT.

I'LL GIVE HER YOUR PHONE NUMBER.

SO HE GAVE HIM MY CELL PHONE NUMBER THAT TIME.

AND CALLED ME , AND WAS VERY PERSUASIVE, AND I SAID, OH, I HAVE TO ASK MY , I HAVE TO TALK TO MY CONGREGATION, AND TO MY EMPLOYER TO SEE IF I SHOULD DO THIS.

>> AND, AND SAID, GO FORTH, SISTER JEAN.

SO THAT'S WHAT I DID.

>> SO BASKETBALL, OF COURSE, WE KNOW HAS ALWAYS BEEN IMPORTANT IN YOUR LIFE.

ONE GAME, YOU SAY, THOUGH, THAT YOU REMEMBER VIVIDLY WAS THE GAME OF CHAINS WITH LOYOLA AND MISSISSIPPI STATE.

WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT THAT GAME?

>> WELL, OF COURSE I WASN'T THERE.

BECAUSE WE JUST HAD A LITTLE TELEVISION , LIKE, 11 1/2 INCHES, BLACK AND WHITE .

ANOTHER SISTER AND I WERE WATCHING THIS TOGETHER.

IT WAS DELAYED, SO NO, NO ONE TOLD US , THERE WERE NO CELL PHONES OR THINGS IN THOSE DAYS, NO ONE EVEN TOLD US THAT WE HAD WON THE GAME.

SO WE WERE PLAYING THE GAME RIGHT ALONG WITH THEM, AND IT WAS SO EXCITING WHEN THEY WON.

AND IT WAS JUST, LIKE, SPONTANEOUS JOY , FIRST ON SHERIDAN ROAD, BECAUSE THE YOUNG MEN FROM CAMPION HALL, WHICH WAS THEIR RESIDENCE HALL, AND THE YOUNG -- CAME OVER TO LINDA LINES COFFEE HALL .

THEY WERE THE ONLY TWO RESIDENTS ON CAMPUSES.

AND GOT ALL THE GIRLS TO GO WITH THEM , AND THEY WALKED DOWN THE RIGHT LINE OF SHERIDAN ROAD , PRACTICALLY TO EVANSTON, SAYING WE WON, WE WON, WE WON.

AND IT, IT WAS JUST SO EXCITING, BECAUSE IT WAS THE, ACTUALLY A GAME OF CHANGE, AND THE PEOPLE REVIEWED, YOU KNOW, THE DOCUMENTARY THAT'S BEEN MADE NOW , THEY REALIZED HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS.

THE YOUNG, THE YOUNG MEN PLAYING AT THAT TIME.

AND HAD NO IDEA WHAT THEY WERE -- THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE SO IMPORTANT IN HISTORY.

AND THAT IT TRULY WAS A GAME OF CHANGE.

>> AND OF COURSE FOR OUR VIEWERS, GAME OF CHANGE HAPPENED IN THE 'SICKNESS WHEN THE MISSISSIPPI STATE TEAM DEFIED THEIR OWN GOVERNOR IN PLAYING AN INTEGRATED TEAM, WHICH WAS THE LOYOLA TEAM AT THE TIME , AND HAVING TO SNEAK OFF AND PLAY THE GAME.

KIND OF ALMOST IN SECRET.

YOU ALSO WRITE, IT ONLY TOOK YOU 98 YEARS TO BECOME AN OVERNIGHT SENSATION WHEN LOYOLA WAS IN THE FINAL FOUR IN 2018, AND LOTS OF FOLKS OUTSIDE OF THE LOYOLA FAMILY AND OUTSIDE OF CHICAGO LEARN WHO SISTER JEAN IS.

WHAT WAS THAT LIKE FOR YOU AT THE TIME?

>> WELL, IT WAS, IT WAS VERY EXCITING.

AFTER WE WENT, AFTER WE WON THE FIRST BRACKET, WE, I WOKE UP THE NEXT MORNING IN A HOTEL ROOM, AND I SAID TO MYSELF, OH, THIS IS NOT A DREAM.

IT'S FOR REAL.

GET GOING, GIRL.

SO I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, I SHOULD , BECAUSE TWO PEOPLE FROM OUR COMMUNITY CAME AND SAID , SISTER JANE, THERE ARE SOME REPORTERS WANTING TO TALK TO YOU.

AND I SAID, OH.

YOU BETTER COME WITH ME.

SO THEY CAME, THEY CAME WITH ME, AND THE, THE REPORTERS KEPT FOLLOWING ME FROM EACH GAME .

THEY KEPT ON COMING TO THE LOCKER ROOM, BECAUSE THEY TOLD ME TO GO THERE TO TALK TO THE YOUNG MEN AND SO FORTH.

>> YOU KNOW, THE IMPORTANCE OF WORKING WITH THE YOUNG PEOPLE AND HOW IMPORTANT THAT HAS BEEN TO YOU OVER YOUR CAREER , TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHY THAT'S SO IMPORTANT TO YOU, AND -- DO THE STUDENTS KEEP YOU YOUNG?

>> YES THEY DO.

I, THEY, THEY REALLY DO.

I TRY TO KEEP UP WITH THEIR CURRENT VOCABULARY, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS SOMETIMES, A REPEAT OF WHAT HAPPENED IN THE '20s AND '30S.

THEY THINK "COOL" IS A NEW WORD.

THAT'S NOT A NEW WORD AT ALL.

BUT IT'S, IT'S JUST FUN TO HEAR WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY.

IT'S WONDERFUL TO WATCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THEM FROM THE TIME THEY COME AS FRESHMEN AND THEY CHANGE SO MUCH BY CHRISTMAS TIME.

I TELL THEIR PARENTS, WHEN I TALK TO THEM, THAT TO EXPECT A CHANGE , THAT CHILDREN DEVELOP AND MATURE SO OVER THOSE FEW MONTHS, AND I DON'T PUT THAT IN A NEGATIVE WAY.

I MEAN, IT'S IN A POSITIVE WAY.

AND THEY, THEY DO.

THEY BECOME MORE RESPONSIBLE .

THEY BECOME VERY RESPECTFUL OF EACH OTHER.

THEY'RE WITH PEOPLE THEY'VE NEVER MET BEFORE.

AND I HAVE TO SAY , TOO, THAT THE FACULTY DO A WONDERFUL JOB IN CREATING FRIENDSHIPS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM AND WITH THEIR STUDENTS, BECAUSE THEY, THEY JUST SAY THEM , AND GIVE THEM GROUP WORK TO DO , AND THEY LEARN A LOT FROM THAT.

THEY LEARN HOW TO SHARE , AND THAT'S IMPORTANT.

>> AT 103 YEARS OLD, I KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE ANY PLANS TO SLOW DOWN.

BUT HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED?

>> WELL, I WOULD LIKE PEOPLE TO REMEMBER , THE FIRST THING IS , I WOULD LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED AS A COMPASSIONATE PERSON , ONE WHO REALLY WANTS TO RELATE TO PEOPLE, HELP PEOPLE, AND REMEMBER ME AS SOMEONE WHO REALLY LOVES GOD, LOVES THEM, LOVES WHAT I DO .

AND THEN SOMETIMES PEOPLE ASK ME, YOU KNOW, YOU REALLY LOVE WHAT YOU DO?

YES, I DO.

AND I WAKE UP IN THE MORNING , AFTER I THANKED GOD FOR BRINGING ME TO THE DAY , ASKING HIM TO HELP ME SERVE HIM THE REST OF THE DAY, I THINK OF WHAT I'M GOING TO DO THAT DAY.

SO THAT'S WHERE MY PURPOSE COMES IN.

AND I'M THINKING OF MY OWN PLANS.

SOMETIMES, THE PLANS DON'T GO TO FRUITION , BUT THEN YOU JUST READJUST AND DO SOMETHING ELSE AND DO THE PLAN THE NEXT DAY.

>> THE PURPOSE THAT YOU SAY THAT YOU WAKE UP WITH, AND THE