There was an error submitting your subscription. Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling is the NBAs longest-tenured female official. The NBA has always been a league that prides itself on giving equal opportunity to everyone. WNBA 2021: Points of Education (Part 1) Natalie Sago, 31, a 2018 addition to the league, had a birthright motivating her: Her father, Dr. Shelton Sago, was a 35-year high school official in Missouri, a local legend in both basketball and football. Female NBA Referees Are Becoming a Normal Part of the Game. Floyd Mayweather interested in buying NBA team, Blake Griffin trolled by YouTuber courtside. R denotes rookie. That only works if there are sufficient aspirants to form a true competitive pool of candidates. Rather, Hopkins said afterward that in general the Liberty got the short end of the stick, both in this game and all season long. "Kids have to see that things are possible," Jelks said. She worked the 2013 and 2014 NBA G League Finals and the 2014 WNBA Conference Finals. We are excited for them to have reached this milestone in their careers.. Entry-level NBA referees earn $250,000 per year as "rookies." Because I've seen it done before.". Referee Position. I thought that was awesome. Probably. Who will win nationals? Ashley Moyer-Gleich has been a hooper her whole life. Most notably, then-Celtics broadcaster Cedric Maxwell used a stunningly offensive "get back in the kitchen" line for a game Palmer was officiating in 2007 (Maxwell would later apologize). Six women referees took part in the . Areas like these come to the forefront as the NBA continues to strive for an earned reputation as a progressive organization. Flores has spent nine seasons in the G League and 10 in the WNBA, and is also an accomplished women's college referee with two Final Fours on her resume. While that was the most overtly negative experience Holtkamp-Sterling recalls from her career, it wasn't the only one. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. "Once [my peers] saw that I was about the business and the work and wanting to learn the craft, they were more than willing to open themselves up to teach me.". Referee - August 12, 2021. She also enjoys Bikram yoga and swimming. I commend those women [in hockey] because first of all, you have to know how to skate, and I would be out there busting my butt trying to do that, Sago said with a laugh. In recent years there has been a massive uptick in female referees in the NBA. He was promoted to referee in 2006 and has overseen gameday officiating crews since. Kicking off the list is Lauren Holtkamp. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Women officials now make up 8% of the 75-member officiating staff as the league continues its focus on hiring the most talented and hardest-working referees in the business. She served as a WNBA referee in 2018. Last up on the list is Jenna Schroeder. No portion of NBA.com may be duplicated, redistributed or manipulated in any form. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about Moyer-Gleich tells multiple stories of NBA security staff confusing her for a cheerleader or a referee's wife when she entered the building to officiate games; to varying degrees, her peers have similar experiences. And if it were male officials, you wouldnt call them sensitive.. "She really did an awesome job of reaching out to us and saying, 'Hey, I really want to start this group. WNBA 2019: Points of Education (Part 3), 2020 WNBA Inside the Rulebook: Block, Charge, WNBA 2020 Playoffs: Points of Education (Part 1), WNBA 2020 Playoffs: Points of Education (Part 2), 2019 WNBA Inside the Rulebook: Continuation. You can talk about the girl in the fifth row with the big ta-tas! The NBA's roster of female referees continues to grow. any players who have declared for the 2022 WNBA draftincluding seniors, . Were looking for the best referees, McCutchen said. Michaela Gilmer is an Interactive Producer for NBA.com. The former Cedar Crest and Millersville guard wasn't planning to be a ref at all but a college . Scott, the daughter of college basketball officials, was promoted Monday to the full-time NBA staff referee roster. Ex-Rainbow Wahine Maj Forsberg makes mark in WNBA landscape as league's only female crew chief. NEW YORK - The WNBA today announced the 15 referees who have earned spots to serve as on-court and/or alternate officials in the WNBA Playoffs 2021 presented by Google.. Playoff officials are selected by the WNBA Referee Operations management team based on three specific criteria throughout the season: WNBA Referee Operations' graded rankings, play-calling accuracy and team feedback. The Pennsylvania native has four years of collegiate officiating experience, with stints in the ACC, Atlantic 10, Patriot League and Ivy League, among other conferences. Palmer and Kantner were so much more than just trailblazers; the weight they shouldered eased the burden for all who came after. 2019 WNBA Inside the Rulebook: Continuation "She did it way before all of us, before the world we live in now that's all accepting," Moyer-Gleich said of Kantner. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. According to a warrant for Morrow's arrest, he's facing charges of assault by strangulation, second-degree kidnapping and communicating threats. The article is made available for educational use by individuals. In addition, referees are paid bonus money for working the playoffs and NBA Finals. According to Career Trend, those who officiate WNBA games earn a salary of $180,000 per year to start. The NBA's roster of female referees continues to grow. So my predecessors recognized this and put those seeds into the G League. It does not store any personal data. Strides are being made, even if we're still talking about small percentages of the overall population and more work is clearly needed. Copyright 2022 Referee Enterprises Inc. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Including various bonuses and incentives, NBA referees can make a total of $550,000 annually. Simone Jelks worked her first game in the NBA in 2019. Palmer and Kantner smashed this barrier; those who came after them are trying to stomp on its remains. Note: This article is archival in nature. She was the first female referee in German professional football. She was blown away recently when a friend referred to her as the "Jackie Robinson of officiating." According to Career Trend, WNBA referees earn a base salary of $180,000 per year. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. "I have always shown great respect for the referees and my career supports me," Ndour wrote on Twitter with a clip of the incident after . Just as meaningful, though, is the broader support structure that's been created. Women officials are often generalized as being too sensitive when they dont tolerate or permit certain forms of disrespect on the court. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. WNBA 2019: Points of Education (Part 1) Similar to Holtkamp, Jelks played basketball at a highly competitive level before entering the world of officiating. McCutchen said the league has no data indicating referees are challenged more or less based on gender. Flores has spent nine seasons in the G League and 10 in the WNBA, and is also an accomplished women's college referee with two Final . Looking for a way to soothe anxious nerves, she called Kantner before her first WNBA game, then again before her first NBA preseason game. Captaincy chaos and Waldrum ultimatums - Will Nigeria be ready for World Cup. Jelks views Palmer as a key mentor in multiple ways. Here's the 12 hottest female referees on the planet. Moyer-Gleich recounts similar experiences. With the . They make up 8% of the 75-member officiating staff. (Suggested reading: Floyd Mayweather interested in buying NBA team). When it comes to mentors within the officiating world, though, it all comes back to the paths forged before them. With the second half of the 2021-22 season well underway, shes now starting to develop those relationships as she gets more reps across the league. The first female NBA referees Chuck Solomon/Getty Images. We can look at data, say from the 2011-12 season, to get an . After finishing up her studies in physical education at the University of Missouri-St. Lois decided to make her way into a career of reffing basketball. These officials begin with a salary of $250,000 as first-year referees. "[The NBA] worked closely with me to make sure that the locker room was where I needed it to be as a nursing mother," Holtkamp-Sterling said. Bonner already had started working NCAA Division I women's . Those who followed them still faced real challenges. Any player or coach would be ill-advised to go there. "I just hope one day we can stop counting. Thirteen of the 31 referees in the WNBA are women. Today, there are five full-time women referees in the NBA -- the most in the . She etched her name into the history books as the first mother to officiate a league game. The WNBA Playoffs 2021 presented by Google will tip off on Thursday, Sept. 23 with two first-round single-elimination games on ESPN2. All Rights Reserved. But now, in 2021-22, the NBA has six female referees on its full-time officiating staff, the most ever. Its not uncommon, to be honest with you, Schroeder said with a laugh. NBA officials Simone Jelks (left) and Ashley Moyer-Gleich working a game together in Chicago. Jelks describes one of the many attributes of being a great NBA official is holding players and coaches accountable for their actions. Penn Manor wrestler Trinity Mowery taking part in the PIAA junior officiating program referees a match at the Elizabethtown Optimist Club Junior High wrestling tournament at Elizabethtown High . "And it's even better when the things they see are possible look like them.". $425. NBA adds 4 new full-time referees, including 2 female NBA referees . 4 Sean Wright, RotoWire considers the best player values in Yahoo fantasy leagues for Friday's 10-game slate. NEW YORK - NBA G League referees Cheryl Flores, Robert Hussey, Matt Kallio and Dannica Mosher have been promoted to full-time NBA staff officials for the 2022-23 season . #24 Scott, #77 Lane, #17 Sterling The NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Committee has approved the 11 game officials, who will bring a combined experience of 63 Women's Final Four appearances, to officiate the three games . No portion of NBA.com WNBA 2020 Playoffs: Points of Education (Part 2), 2019 WNBA Inside the Rulebook: Screens The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. But Palmer and Kantner's influence on today's generation is immense and undeniable. The NBA Referee's salary varies according to the job distinction as well as the experience of the referee. And to this day, I dont think people know that thats actually a thing.. ET. 2023 Getty Images. First-year NBA official Danielle Scott views her rookie season the same as any player entering the league would: an adjustment. When Holtkamp-Sterling returned to officiating after giving birth in 2019, the league had arranged specific accommodations for her as its first-ever mother to officiate a game. . WNBA announces officials for WNBA Playoffs 2021 presented by Google, WNBA Draft 2023 presented by State Farm to be held on April 10, NBA legend Pau Gasol named recipient of 2023 Kobe & Gigi Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award, WNBAs streaming platform, WNBA League Pass, to include 2023 Athletes Unlimited basketball games, First-ever WNBA Canada game to feature Sky and Lynx in Toronto, Defending WNBA champion Aces to host AT&T WNBA All-Star 2023, DICKS Sporting Goods becomes Official Sporting Goods Retail Partner of the WNBA. NCAA gymnastics 2023: Who has surprised this season? The NBA has made significant alterations since Palmer and Kantner's day, where the league would have to improvise a makeshift women's locker room in arenas that weren't prepared for them. February 4, 2021. "There's no reason why we shouldn't have more women as officials, coaches and basketball executives in our league," Silver said. Now check your email to confirm your subscription to the Referee.com Review. Im so happy for you.. 1. Jelks becomes the seventh female full-time ref in NBA history, with the current five preceded by Dee Kantner and Violet Palmer. I feel like women, especially women in male-dominated industries, always in the back of our heads, theres a little space, no matter how well we are doing, like Am I good enough? and the answer will always be yes.. The ability to advance in this career is evident. But, its hard for someone whos a player to sit down and read the rule book and understand it because its so its not relatable to how a player understands the game.. By. The NBA now has eight . Republication or distribution of this content is The NBA's roster of female referees continues to grow. Natalie Sago says her time officiating games in the WNBA prepared her for an NBA officiating job. MLB umpires rake in an impressive $300,000 annually, and the referees in the NHL receives around $275,000 . I [grew up] admiring Allen Iverson because I felt like he was just so unapologetically himself, despite what society or what the basketball community thought of him, good or bad, says Jelks. With four more working on a part-time basis and two fill-ins from the NBA G League, the league has a dozen women on call to make calls on any given night. The entry-level referees are paid around $600 per match. Young women shouldn't have to look at officiating, or so many other traditionally male-dominated professions, as rarified air for only the chosen few. By. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. None attempt to discount their own burdens that they overcame. I havent worked as hard in my life ever at a job, then Ive worked in the NBA as a referee., Working her first NBA game in 2019, Jelks remembers an unprompted conversation with a player who approached her at center court, shook her hand and said Welcome to the League. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". She became a professional referee in 1999 by officiating matches in the Women's Bundesliga, after that she was selected to officiate in the Regionalliga. Select referees by season: . Senior-level referees are the best of the best. None of it deterred her -- in fact, quite the opposite. Copyright 2023 NBA Media Ventures, LLC. "It's needed for women in this industry that already have a lot of things going against them. Female referees make a maximum single-game pay of $5,000 if they work the Super Bowl. Everything we send is officiating specific because that's all we do. Flores has spent nine seasons in the G League and 10 in the WNBA, and is also an accomplished women's college referee with two Final Fours on her resume. Its just that they werent there to be recognized as a referee.. These goals are attainable now in ways they just couldn't have been even a generation prior. The NBA's roster of female referees continues to grow. She served as a WNBA referee in 2018. Hussey has worked five G League seasons and two in the WNBA. The first category of referees we're going to be looking at is WNBA referees. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. In 1997, Violet Palmer and Dee . With more female referees officiating games, fans have begun to wonder if there's a pay gap between female referees and male referees. There aren't many great answers for why 17 years passed between women being hired, for instance, although it's understandable why those at the top of today's league prefer to look forward. The two even got to officiate two high school games together, a moment that seems like yesterday in her memory even as she's gone on to call contests in both the WNBA and NBA. That doesn't bother me, because we're all just referees and we have to be able to co-mingle. Were capable and not just capable but like beyond excellent and can do the job just as well as our male counterparts.. After all, she could have stayed in women's basketball, where she was one of the top officials in the college world. To order Referee Kevin Fahy on Sunday ejected Astou Ndour of the WNBA 's Chicago Sky after she appeared to accidentally make contact with his stomach as he walked into her. Thats where she remembers watching Candace Parker with Tennessee, and Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird with UConn. "But did it bother me? She's taken it to a new level. Referee. Subscribe to get the Referee.com Review every week plus periodic free training and special offers on the sports you officiate. View. The current group of eight full-timers all did games, as did Clare Aubry, ShaRae Mitchell, Blanca Burns and Jenna Reneau.