KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Illinois State women's basketball legend Cathy Boswell was selected as one of five to be inducted as the 24th Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Class, as announced by the committee during halftime of ABC's broadcast of the Phil Knight Legacy Championship Game between Iowa & UConn women's basketball Sunday morning.
The members for the Class of 2023 are Cathy Boswell (Veteran Player), Donna Lopiano (Contributor), Lisa Mattingly (Official), Carolyn Peck (Coach), and Lindsey Whalen (Player). In addition to the announcement of the Class of 2023, the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame announced its recipient for the Trailblazers of the Game Award and its recipient of the For the Love of the Game Award. The 2023 Trailblazer of the Game recipient is the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). The 2023 For the Love of the Game Award goes to the Dust Bowl Girls.
Boswell (1979-83) was a two-time WBCA Kodak All-American and two-time Wade Trophy finalist during her time at ISU, finishing her collegiate career with 2,005 points and 1,054 rebounds. She led the Redbirds to 90 wins, an NCAA Tournament berth in 1983, a 15th-place finish in the AIAW National Tournament in 1981 and two WNIT bids (1980 and 1982). Boswell was a member of the 1984 women's Olympic gold medalist USA basketball team and competed internationally for 14 years, earning seven team most valuable player awards, one league MVP title, a player of the year award and five league championships.
The Class of 2023 will mark the 24th Class of Inductees to be honored by the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, which held its grand opening and inaugural induction in 1999. The Class of 2023 will be inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, receiving their coveted Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Trophy and Baron Championship Induction Ring on April 29th, 2023, in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tickets for the ceremony are on sale now on Ticketmaster.
Prior to the Induction Ceremony, in March/April 2023, the Class of 2023 Inductees and Award winners will be introduced and acknowledged at media events conducted during the 2023 NCAA Women's Final Four and Women's Basketball Coaches Association National Convention in Dallas, Texas.
The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame currently has 187 Hall of Fame inductees, including Redbird legend Jill Hutchison, a women's basketball innovator, who coached Boswell at Illinois State.
The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Directors serves as the selection committee in determining the individuals to be inducted each year. Voting is based on minimum candidate requirements, which include record of performance, national or international recognition and contributions to the game of women's basketball.
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