Team USA is all set for the Paris Olympics, and the buzz is real! Back in June, they unveiled an impressive four-women squad to represent the nation in 3×3 basketball on French soil. Among the stars is former Lady Vols standout, Cierra Burdick. “I was completely shocked,” Cierra Burdick expressed what she felt as she got the news about her Olympic selection. “All I could do was laugh. They had really set me up nicely,” she continued.

With a long history in USA basketball, playing alongside WNBA icons Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd on youth teams, Burdick is now ready to shine in Paris as a key member of the USA  3×3 Olympic team. Let’s dive into the athlete’s career as she gets ready for another milestone.

Cierra Burdick: From high school star to global hooper

Cierra Burdick made her presence felt early as she led her Butler High School team to a state championship. She also earned the top player honor twice as the Gatorade North Carolina Girls Basketball Player of the Year in 2010 and 2011. The University of Tennessee, one of the biggest names in women’s college hoops, was the now 30-year-old’s next stop. And it was here that Burdick learnt much under the guidance of legendary late head coach Pat Summitt.

Remembering her time at Tennessee under Summitt, Burdick recently said, “I’ve got some big time guardian angels that have been looking out for me, and I’m a proud Lady Vol … I took a lot of lessons from Pat, and it’s easy to just carry those with me every single day.” And when she made it to the Olympics, she wrote, “Bringing the Lady Vols back to the Olympics! I know Pat is smiling down on me.”

Burdick becomes the 15th Lady Vol basketball player, making it to the big stage after Tamika Catchings in 2016. During her run therein, from 2011 to 2015, she was Coaches All-SEC First Team honoree as well as AP All-America honorable mention among others.

After becoming the 42nd in the program to total 1000 points in her final year, and the numerous recognitions, Burdick was the 14th second-round pick in 2015 by Atlanta Dreams. But her journey wasn’t a smooth one as she kept switching the franchises from New York Liberty to Las Vegas Aces and still didn’t get much of the playing time.

Hence, after her 1-year contract with the Aces in 2020 and much unfortunate occurrences after, Burdick found herself hooping it up in places like France and Isreal. She hasn’t returned to the league yet, because she has been busy make it big in the 3*3. 

Cierra Burdick’s transition from the WNBA to 3×3 basketball

It was three years back when Burdick knew that her WNBA career was about to end. After Vegas failed to resign her in 2021 and Phoenix Mercury waived her in May later, Burdick found hope in Minnesota Lynx. She had signed a hardship contract with the latter that was told to last 4-6 weeks. That short-term deal with the Lynx felt like a lifeline, but she knew it wouldn’t last. And it didn’t.

“I was completely humiliated, demoralized, disappointed, and I honestly was done with the W after that experience,” said Burdick after being waived only a week later. However, the tough break ended up being a blessing in disguise.

Just when she thought her WNBA story was over, the Seattle Storm came calling. Playing time wasn’t huge, but being part of the Storm was a breath of fresh air. It opened doors to 3×3 basketball, where she’s really found her groove. 

So, while the WNBA might not be her full-time gig, Burdick is definitely still winning at basketball. We can say that Seattle gave Burdick her home base in a league where she’d often felt like a nomad. And we are saying this because she already had a long story with Team USA and 3×3 basketball. “I will forever have so much gratitude for them [Storm and Force 10 Hoops ownership group] for getting me back to 3×3,” she iterated. 

Cierra Burdick’s history with Team USA and 3×3 basketball

Cierra Burdick isn’t just a former college basketball star, she has been a 3×3 basketball lady boss. She’s been dominating the 3×3 scene since way back in 2014. She marched with Team USA and won a gold medal at the FIBA World Cup in Russia. The crazy fact is she achieved that milestone between her junior and senior years of college.

Lady Vol star kept that winning streak going. Last year, she helped the Team USA bring home gold from both the FIBA World Cup in Austria and the Pan American Games in Chile. And now it’s another Euro trip for this basketball superstar, as she’s headed back to Europe one more time to give it her all.

Burdick is accompanied by Rhyne Howard, Hailey Van Lith, and Dearica Hamby. The contingent’s journey starts on July 30th with Team USA’s 3×3 women’s basketball team, as Cierra Burdick will be chasing one last hoop dream.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.