Manifestation is a big part of Cierra Burdick’s regular routine. But her vision didn’t come close to reality when she imagined being named to the USA Basketball 3x3 Women’s Olympic team.
Burdick was supposed to meet a friend for dinner at Angeline’s, a restaurant inside the Kimpton Tryon Park Hotel in downtown Charlotte, North Carolina. The former Lady Vols forward approached the host stand and provided the information about her reservation.
As they passed a plethora of open tables, Burdick was perplexed. She was being led to a private room and was shocked when she turned the corner and saw Jim Tooley, CEO and president of USA Basketball, and USA Basketball 3x3 National Team Director Jay Demings. Saudia Mitchell, a content creator for USA Basketball, was holding a camera filming the surprise.
They informed Burdick she would be representing Team USA at the Paris Olympics and presented her with a jersey.
“I thought I was going to cry because it’s been such a journey leading up to this dream come true, and I did the exact opposite. I just busted out laughing,” said Burdick, who played at Tennessee 2011-15. “It’s still very much a surreal moment for me. I don’t think it’s fully set in because I am so locked in on my preparation. Maybe it will settle in more at the Opening Ceremonies or once my team and I get to Paris.”
Burdick, 30, will be making her Olympic debut alongside teammates Hailey Van Lith, Rhyne Howard and Dearica Hamby. She will be the only Lady Vol represented in women’s basketball in Paris and the 15th player overall.
The 2020 Olympics in Tokyo was the first Olympic Games without a Lady Vol player represented on the court in women’s basketball (Kara Lawson coached the women’s 3x3 team to gold).
After she was named to the Olympic team, Burdick immediately thought of late legendary Lady Vols head coach Pat Summitt. She knew how much representing Team USA and the Lady Vols meant to Summitt. Former UT assistant coach Dean Lockwood sent Burdick a message reinforcing her feelings.
“He told me Pat would be so proud of not only how I carry myself in my sport, but just even off the court. That’s special,” Burdick said. “That is what matters to me, making the people around me proud and having that love and support and encouragement. That’s why I do this, for my circle, for my village and for everyone who’s played a part in helping these Olympic dreams come true.”
First introduced into the Olympics at the 2020 Tokyo Games, 3x3 is played on a half-court with a 10-minute game clock and 12-second shot clock. The first team to score 21 points via 1-point field goals or 2-pointers behind the arc is victorious. If time expires, the team with the most points wins.
Burdick participated in her first 3x3 event at the 2014 FIBA 3x3 World Cup, helping the U.S. win a gold medal.
“That is when I realized I can be good at this because of the versatility of my game and my basketball IQ,” she said. “I’m not great at any one skilled thing on the court besides maybe rebounding. But I’m solid at just about everything and that is key in 3x3.”
As she bounced around the WNBA, Burdick didn’t play in another 3x3 competition until 2019 when the ownership group of the Seattle Storm invested in a 3x3 team. Burdick played in a 3x3 circuit around the country while still playing 5-on-5 in the WNBA or overseas.
Burdick’s final season in the WNBA was in 2021 with the Storm, but she still plays 5-on-5 overseas for six to eight months during the year. She purposely signed a shorter contract in France this past season so she could return to the U.S. and train for the 3x3 Trials.
“I think it’s a testament to my resiliency,” Burdick said of her quest to make the Olympics. “I wasn’t a first-round draft pick out of college. I had to fight tooth and nail to make every WNBA roster that I made, and even then I was like the 10th, 11th, 12th man. If I even stepped foot on the court, it was a miracle. I think my experience in the W through the trials and tribulations has built incredible resiliency.”
Two “instrumentally large pillars” in Burdicks’ life died before they could see her realize her Olympic dream. Her “Nana,” Jane Burdick, died last year from Alzheimer’s, and her “Grandma” Queen Heard died two years ago of lung disease.
“It’s hard doing this journey without them, but I do as much as I can to honor them and share their name with my platform,” Burdick said. “I want people to know they’re my motivation and my strength. They’re gonna have the best seat at the venue at the Olympics and will be with me through this entire process. They are my guardian angels.”
Burdick is not sure how much longer she will play basketball once she returns from Paris. She wants to enter the coaching profession whenever the time comes to retire. But for the next month, her full focus is on soaking up the Olympic experience and bringing back another medal for Team USA.
“I wouldn’t change my story or my path. It just makes it so much sweeter to be here, because I am very much an underdog,” she said. “If you look at the other Olympians representing USA Basketball, I don’t have the story. I am not a WNBA superstar. I’m just somebody who loves the game, who has put in a lot of time and work and investment into her craft. It’s just a blessing for it to all be paying off in this way.”