On Friday, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled an officially licensed, limited-edition bobblehead to commemorate the Iowa Hawkeyes Women’s Basketball Team’s historic 2022-23 season, according to a news release.
The team’s record-breaking season included a program high 31 wins and the first appearance in the National Championship Game. The special edition bobblehead is being produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, an official producer of licensed University of Iowa Bobbleheads.
The bobblehead features Iowa’s mascot, Herky the Hawk, holding up a copy of the sports section of a newspaper titled “Iowa News”. The front page proclaims, “HAWKEYES MAKE IOWA PROUD!”. Herky is standing on a stack of newspapers with the headline “IOWA WOMEN’S HISTORIC 31-WIN 2022-23 SEASON IS ONE FOR THE AGES WITH FANS ACROSS THE COUNTRY CHEERING FOR THE HIGH-FLYING HAWKEYES!”
Each bobblehead is individually numbered to 2,023 and they are only available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in July, are $40 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order.
Under 23rd-year coach Lisa Bluder, Iowa, finished as the runner-up in the Big Ten Conference with a 15-3 record sitting behind Indiana. Following the regular season, the Hawkeyes won the Big Ten Conference Tournament title for the second consecutive season. Iowa earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Sweet 16 with victories over 15th-seeded Southeastern Louisiana, 95-43, and 10th-seeded Georgia, 74-66, in the first two rounds. They then beat sixth-seeded Colorado, 87-77, and fifth-seeded Louisville, 97-83, to advance to their first Final Four since 1993.
In the national semifinals, Iowa knocked off defending champion, previously undefeated and top-seeded South Carolina, 77-73, before a sellout crowd of 19,288 at American Airlines Center in Dallas in one of the most anticipated matchups in women’s Final Four history. Dazzling All-American junior point guard Caitlin Clark scored 41 points to set the record for the highest-scoring NCAA Tournament semifinal as the Hawkeyes snapped South Carolina’s 42-game winning streak and advanced to their first-ever national championship. Facing another SEC team in the final, Iowa’s magical run fell short in a 102-85 loss to third-seeded LSU to finish 31-7 overall. The 31 victories were the most in school history for the Hawkeyes and the National Championship game was the first for the women’s basketball program.
“The Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball team’s remarkable 2022-23 season is well-deserving of a bobblehead to commemorate all of the accomplishments,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum Co-Founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “We think this bobblehead will be one that Hawkeyes alumni, students, faculty, staff, and fans will enjoy really enjoy.”
About the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum:
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, which is located at 170 S. 1st St. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, opened to the public on February 1st, 2019. The HOF and Museum also produces high quality, customized bobbleheads for retail sale as well as organizations, individuals, and teams across the country. You can visit online.
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