This Wildkat team is 'all in the family'

For senior Ciera Finberg, she’s having great fun savoring the moments of what’s shaping up to be a very special basketball season.

“I’ve tried to really enjoy it,” she said. “This is it.”

Not only is the team playing extremely well, Finberg is playing with her younger sister, sophomore Cydney Finberg, and friends and fellow sisters Summer and Kiara Burlage.

Four sisters, one team and they’re friends both on and off the court. In fact, they’ve been playing together since elementary school. Basketball isn’t just in their blood, it’s in their bones. The girls know what the other’s going to do before they do it.

The Finberg sisters come from a long line of basketball players. Their father, Cary, coaches the squad and played for Columbia Falls and the University of Montana-Western in Dillon and is a member of the college’s Hall of Fame. Assistant coach and aunt, Cathy Finberg, played for Columbia Falls and Montana State University. Their late uncle Craig Finberg played the Cats, MSU and the Portland Trail Blazers. He is also in the MSU Hall of Fame.

The Burlages’ father, Josh, was a basketball player and also is an assistant coach. Their mother, Jessi, was an athlete as well, competing in swimming, track and basketball in her youth.

During the season, the four girls practice or play six days a week together. In the off season, they’re at open gyms four days a week. Their goals are simple but taken seriously — get better everyday and get to the state Class A tournament.

They came in third as a team last year, but this year’s team is different — it’s faster, longer and with a deep, deep bench. Not only are the sisters friends, the entire team is friends.

“It helps with the chemistry. We’re cohesive,” Ciera said.

Or perhaps, a little bit better than that.

“We have telepathy,” Kiara said.

Many of their best games are played in practice, the girls all note.

The Finberg sisters started playing basketball when they were three. The Burlages say they remember playing when they were very young as well. The Burlages moved here from Wisconsin when Kiara was in fourth grade. They had no friends to start and basketball brought the four of them together.

Early on in pick-up games, Summer and Ciera would pair up as one team, Cydney and Kiara as another. But then Cydney grew to 5-feet-11-inches and Kiara to 6 feet even, while Summer and Ciera are 5-8.

“When they got taller than us, they started to win,” Ciera said.

They started playing together competitively when Ciera and Summer were in eighth grade. The younger girls played up two grades.

This is not the first team to feature sisters. A few years ago, Kayla and Kelsey DeWit played together, leading the Wildkats to state tournaments in 2009 and 2010 but failing to place. In 1983, sisters Robin and Brooke Allen helped lead the Kats to their only state Class AA title. But this is the first team with two sets of sisters.

This year’s girls hope for similar success.

“We’re in it to win it,” Summer said.

The girls say they rarely tire of the sport.

“You get tired but never get tired of the game,” Cydney said.

Cydney and Kiara say they hope to play basketball in college. Ciera and Summer say they won’t play competitively after high school, though Ciera would like to coach someday, as would Kiara and Cydney. Summer wants to a pursue a career in the medical field.

But right now it’s all about competing hard and enjoying it while it lasts.

“I’m starting to realize how fleeting this is,” Ciera said.

For senior Ciera Finberg, she’s having great fun savoring the moments of what’s shaping up to be a very special basketball season.

“I’ve tried to really enjoy it,” she said. “This is it.”

Not only is the team playing extremely well, Finberg is playing with her younger sister, sophomore Cydney Finberg, and friends and fellow sisters Summer and Kiara Burlage.

Four sisters, one team and they’re friends both on and off the court. In fact, they’ve been playing together since elementary school. Basketball isn’t just in their blood, it’s in their bones. The girls know what the other’s going to do before they do it.

The Finberg sisters come from a long line of basketball players. Their father, Cary, coaches the squad and played for Columbia Falls and the University of Montana-Western in Dillon and is a member of the college’s Hall of Fame. Assistant coach and aunt, Cathy Finberg, played for Columbia Falls and Montana State University. Their late uncle Craig Finberg played the Cats, MSU and the Portland Trail Blazers. He is also in the MSU Hall of Fame.

The Burlages’ father, Josh, was a basketball player and also is an assistant coach. Their mother, Jessi, was an athlete as well, competing in swimming, track and basketball in her youth.

During the season, the four girls practice or play six days a week together. In the off season, they’re at open gyms four days a week. Their goals are simple but taken seriously — get better everyday and get to the state Class A tournament.

They came in third as a team last year, but this year’s team is different — it’s faster, longer and with a deep, deep bench. Not only are the sisters friends, the entire team is friends.

“It helps with the chemistry. We’re cohesive,” Ciera said.

Or perhaps, a little bit better than that.

“We have telepathy,” Kiara said.

Many of their best games are played in practice, the girls all note.

The Finberg sisters started playing basketball when they were three. The Burlages say they remember playing when they were very young as well. The Burlages moved here from Wisconsin when Kiara was in fourth grade. They had no friends to start and basketball brought the four of them together.

Early on in pick-up games, Summer and Ciera would pair up as one team, Cydney and Kiara as another. But then Cydney grew to 5-feet-11-inches and Kiara to 6 feet even, while Summer and Ciera are 5-8.

“When they got taller than us, they started to win,” Ciera said.

They started playing together competitively when Ciera and Summer were in eighth grade. The younger girls played up two grades.

This is not the first team to feature sisters. A few years ago, Kayla and Kelsey DeWit played together, leading the Wildkats to state tournaments in 2009 and 2010 but failing to place. In 1983, sisters Robin and Brooke Allen helped lead the Kats to their only state Class AA title. But this is the first team with two sets of sisters.

This year’s girls hope for similar success.

“We’re in it to win it,” Summer said.

The girls say they rarely tire of the sport.

“You get tired but never get tired of the game,” Cydney said.

Cydney and Kiara say they hope to play basketball in college. Ciera and Summer say they won’t play competitively after high school, though Ciera would like to coach someday, as would Kiara and Cydney. Summer wants to a pursue a career in the medical field.

But right now it’s all about competing hard and enjoying it while it lasts.

“I’m starting to realize how fleeting this is,” Ciera said.