Just like their male counterparts did nine days ago, the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team will be debuting the new Nike HyperElite uniforms on Saturday. The UConn women will be the only team in women’s basketball to be wearing the HyperElite unis.
A look at them and the press release from Nike after the jump.
UCONN BASKETBALL TEAM TO WEAR NIKE’S LIGHTEST BASKETBALL UNIFORM EVER – THE NIKE HYPER ELITE
New Huskie Uniform Is Nike’s latest
BEAVERTON, Ore. (February 19, 2010) – On Saturday, February 20, the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team will introduce the Nike Hyper Elite uniform – the lightest elite fit college basketball uniform Nike has ever designed.
UConn earned the honor of being the only women’s program selected among several teams in college hoops that this month will debut the Nike Hyper Elite uniforms, which celebrates the rich spirit, tradition and culture of the nation’s top basketball programs.
Paying tribute to the success and history of UConn basketball, Nike designers worked with the university to create a distinctive look for the Huskies. Inspired in part by the program’s six national championships, the UConn jerseys feature six stars, each one with the year, ’95, 00, 02, 03, 04 and ’09, in which the Women’s basketball team won national titles.
Three oak leaves and two acorns are placed at the top of the design, which represents the potential and the desire to grow toward perfection. The ceiling of the Business Building located on the campus, along with the establishment year of the university, 1881, represents the central focal point of the design. An image of UConn’s famed Husky mascot helps to complete the design.
UConn’s new uniforms incorporate several Nike innovations that were originally introduced in Beijing. The Hyper Elite uniforms take advantage of Nike Aerographics – an engineered mesh providing zoned cooling that reduces up to half the yarn, making the uniforms more lightweight and breathable.
Nike made specific adjustments to the jersey, eliminating 13 inches of material, while the use of Dri-FIT woven fabric in the short reduced its weight to make it Nike’s lightest ever.
Dri-FIT technical fabric is a moisture-wicking material that provides increased comfort and thermo regulation to help enable players to perform at their optimal level on the court. The Nike Hyper Elite uniform is also the fastest drying Nike short ever.
Completing the new elite fit for UConn is the Nike Pro Combat, an ergonomically designed base layer that provides basketball-specific protective padding without restricting mobility on the court.
Technical Specifications:
Nike HyperElite Uniforms
Eight universities will debut in 2010 the Nike Hyperelite basketball uniform.
The EliteFit system, a jersey/short layered over a padded base layer, is designed to address the games’ increased physicality.
Aerographics relate team spirit and history in a breathable, lightweight graphical mesh innovation relevant to each school.
Aerographic technology
- Developed for the Beijing Olympics, engineered mesh provides zoned cooling
- Unnecessary fibers are removed, creating mesh that reduces up to half the yarn in jersey
- Comprehensive curation and school-specific design seamlessly integrated into lighter-weight garment
- Creates natural convection flow, drawing heat from back of the body
University Inspiration
- Three oak leaves and two acorns: representing potential and the desire to grow toward perfection
- Stars represent the Women’s National Championship Titles in 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2009
- Ceiling of UConn’s iconic Business Building
- Jonathan, UConn’s Husky mascot in honor of Jonathan Trumbull
- University’s 1881 establishment year
Material innovation
- Lightweight, quick-drying woven material of 6-ounce-short enables superior moisture management.
Cooling features
- Laser perforations allow for increased air flow, breathability
