As the NBA continues to normalize the notion of women officials in this male-dominated space, Holtkamp-Sterling is confident the league is moving in the right direction. Here's the 12 hottest female referees on the planet. Probably. Simone Jelks worked her first game in the NBA in 2019. Ex-Rainbow Wahine Maj Forsberg makes mark in WNBA landscape as league's only female crew chief. WNBA referee's 'huge overreaction' after ejecting Astou Ndour Referee assignments are posted at approximately 9:00am ET each game day. (See the clip below.) In this particular business, thats one of the loftiest goals of diversity: Sameness. The first time Jenna Schroeder was booed by 40,000 NBA fans as she exited the court, she knew she had finally made it. I thought that was awesome. Mosher has four seasons of G League officiating experience, five seasons in the WNBA and worked both the G League Finals and the WNBA Finals last season. The second category of referees are the Entry-level NBA referees. To amplify your resume, you can try to get involved with your school's basketball team as either a student manager, player or referee assistant if possible. For female basketball referees, men's college basketball may be the bleakest of frontiers. Was the buffer Palmer and Kantner created an impenetrable one? Holtkamp-Sterling has become a big sister figure to the other women in the program. . How many female refs are there in the NBA? | Dependable 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. Not Available. "I'll prove myself amongst them, so they'll look at me as just a referee," Palmer said of her mindset at the time. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Several of the full-timers are close friends off the court. But now, in 2021-22, the NBA has six female referees on its full-time officiating staff, the most ever. Sago would eventually work with all three superstars during her path to the NBA, which included stops at various levels including high school college, the G League and the WNBA. WNBA 2021: Points of Education (Part 3), 2020 WNBA Inside the Rulebook: Block, Charge These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Then, five years later, there was one: Palmer. 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. The first female NBA referees. But again, thats counting. While that was the most overtly negative experience Holtkamp-Sterling recalls from her career, it wasn't the only one. 2021 Women's National Basketball Association - Referee.com New to motherhood another around-the-clock job Moyer-Gleich remembers getting hired in 2018 as the jumping-off point for the league, which has now been a domino effect of more women coming through the officiating pipeline. Earn a high school diploma. Who is the player of the year in every women's college basketball conference? Palmer and Kantner smashed this barrier; those who came after them are trying to stomp on its remains. When she retired in 2016 after her 18-season career, it was back to one: Lauren Holtkamp. Two women make NBA history, ref Magic game together NBA adds 4 new full-time referees, including 2 more women These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. She served as a WNBA referee in 2018. Rather, Hopkins said afterward that in general the Liberty got the short end of the stick, both in this game and all season long. "She taught me how to carry myself, how to be comfortable being the only woman in the room all the time. Officials will be evaluated after each round of the playoffs to determine future advancement in the 2021 postseason. 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. UFC 285's Shevchenko by the numbers: It all adds up to domination, Infighting of Women's World Cup faves Spain, France, Canada reveals big issues in the sport. Including various bonuses and incentives, NBA referees can make a total of $550,000 annually. She will return for her 10th season in the WNBA, all of which have been in Phoenix, after she missed last year because of a 10-month detainment in Russia. Rather, they've tried to go further. "She'll always say, if I did it, you can do it. This is the league's . Below is the 2020-21 NBA roster of officials with each official's uniform number, name, years in the league through last season and hometown. It's something that the NBA's senior vice president spoke about last year, pointing out how there hasn't been a concentrated effort to hire female referees. And this is exactly what a true meritocracy looks like., More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports, Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Torstar account holder. All we have to do is find the best referees and open our eyes to half of the population.. "I'm not sure how it was that it remained so male-dominated for so long," said Silver last month. 2019 WNBA Inside the Rulebook: Continuation . Female referees make a maximum single-game pay of $5,000 if they work the Super Bowl. When it comes to mentors within the officiating world, though, it all comes back to the paths forged before them. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Ashley Moyer-Gleich | Offical #13 | NBRA But now, in 2021-22, the NBA has six female referees on its full-time officiating staff, the most ever. "She really did an awesome job of reaching out to us and saying, 'Hey, I really want to start this group. Currently, there are six female referees who work NBA games, up from one, Lauren Holtkamp, seven years ago. She becomes the sixth woman on the current staff, joining Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling, Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Simone . Those changes include separate dedicated locker rooms for women officials. Certainly not. A multi-dimensional, hard-working woman, Jelks played collegiate basketball at USC and is a certified foreign language K-12 educator. Today, there are a total of five full-time women NBA referees, an all-time league high. The NBA's roster of female referees continues to grow. Michaela Gilmer is an Interactive Producer for NBA.com. Were capable and not just capable but like beyond excellent and can do the job just as well as our male counterparts.. The approval of her peers in the officiating world. [She's] always been my biggest role model. They were audible conversations for Palmer and Kantner, and sometimes more. NBA hires Danielle Scott, league's 6th female full-time ref NBA adds 4 new full-time referees, including 2 more women Scott has spent much of her first year in the league building rapport with the players and teams. I love that Im a part of an organization that hires you based on if you can do the job and based on your skills. There was an error submitting your subscription. 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. Basketball Referee Salaries for Other Leagues. "I said to the guys: 'You can curse! Conley was in the G League for seven seasons, Schwab for five and, like Scott, they also worked WNBA games this season. To order No. Tom Washington, a 30-year veteran whom Palmer names as one of her top mentors, bestowed the nickname "Queen" upon her during a group event midway through her career. Entry-level NBA referees earn $250,000 per year as "rookies." 1. "And I say that very positively. The other five Sage, Schroeder, Simone Jelks, Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling and Ashley Moyer-Gleich are active in the league today and among . But Holtkamp-Sterling believes shes the one paying homage and praises Palmer and Kantner for breaking barriers as the first two women officials in the NBA. Women's . "But did it bother me? She joined the pros as a full-time ref in 2018 and had a side career as a bartender while climbing her way up the ranks. It'll just be the norm.". Camp Hill resident Ashley Moyer-Gleich is in her second month as the fourth-ever female NBA referee. The 20 Highest Paid WNBA Players and How Much They Make First-year NBA official Danielle Scott views her rookie season the same as any player entering the league would: an adjustment. Referee, the worlds original sports officiating magazine, educates, challenges and inspires officials at all levels. We all started somewhere. "There are a lot of things I want to say about the officiating . Moyer-Gleich played basketball at Millersville University in Pennsylvania. Skype chats gave way to lengthy group texts, including several that persist to this day. It does take time to develop officials, McCutchen said. #NBA #NBAReferees twitter.com/i/web/status/1. This season has seen a record 7 female referees officiate at least one game in the NBA. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Even while on maternity leave, shes locked into games every single night, which now she gets to do with her son by her side. 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. She heard whispers from some corners of the sport. "In that moment, he was being very clear -- there was no micro-aggression or anything: 'I'm going to tell you exactly that I don't think you belong here doing this.'". NBA Referees Directory | Basketball-Reference.com "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, the world's original sports officiating magazine, educates, challenges and inspires officials at all levels. It's needed that we strengthen each other emotionally, and just have that good support team.". Its not uncommon, to be honest with you, Schroeder said with a laugh. Other projections put the base salary for new referees somewhere around $250,000. Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling | Offical #7 | NBRA To its credit, the NBA hasn't been satisfied at simply hitting numerical targets for the sake of appearance -- although no one's saying it's been perfect, either. Meet Lauren Holtkamp, Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Natalie Sago, and now Jenna Schroeder. Our paths are all different but we all got to the same end goal.. Revolution Interrupted: Why Has the NBA's Effort to Hire Female Refs WNBA Player Astou Ndour Gets Ejected For Mind-Blowing Reason And not everyone was comfortable. That doesn't bother me, because we're all just referees and we have to be able to co-mingle. Since Holtkamp-Sterling, four more women have been hired as full-time NBA referees. The NBA now has the most . Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. As a young girl, the basketball court was one of the only places where Simone Jelks could simply be herself. 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. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. The three prominent distinctions among the NBA Referees are entry-level referees or rookies, referees for the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), and senior-level referees. Sago was a collegiate athlete but played softball instead of basketball. After all, she could have stayed in women's basketball, where she was one of the top officials in the college world. You can e-mail himhere, findhis archive hereandfollow him on Twitter. Moyer-Gleich officiated three seasons in the NBA G League, including the 2018 playoffs. Its really satisfying to say, We dont have to go and search for women referees, said Monty McCutchen, the NBAs senior vice president, head of referee development and training. Flores has spent nine seasons in the G League and 10 in the WNBA, and is also an accomplished womens college referee with two Final Fours on her resume. The six full-timers are Natalie Sago, Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Simone Jelks, Jenna Schroeder, Danielle Scott and Holtkamp-Sterling (married to fellow NBA ref Jonathan Sterling). 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. "They say I'm the sixth female referee in the NBA," said Schroeder, the sixth woman officially hired as a full-time NBA referee. 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. A camera crew came out to the floor to film the in-arena entertainment and there was a woman videographer who approached her and said, I am really glad that youre here.. Kantner's NBA career was the shorter of the two, spanning until 2002 when she was released by the league. The NBA's five full-time women referees are changing the game, but this 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.. They allow the league's scouts to evaluate larger swaths of the population and identify greater cumulative talent. The average salary of a male basketball player is put at $7.7 million while that of their female counterparts is a mere $100,658. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting. @ESPNNBA Those who followed them still faced real challenges. In its . It put tears in her eyes "that someone would actually put me in that class of people." Our women officials give technical fouls at the same rate as anyone else., Said Williams: I hope one day well be able to look at them as officials instead of a lady official or a male official.. Shop NEW Women Hooping summer apparel: http://www.womenhooping.com/Support the channel through PAYPAL: paypal.me/womenhoopingORPlay as WNBA players/teams in . I wanted to do as many games as I could to prepare me to work in the NBA. Kicking off the list is Lauren Holtkamp. To order copies of Your login session has expired. $425. "They congratulated me for getting hired and being in the WNBA, I was like, that . We [officials] are human, too. And 25 of the 63 referees in the G-League are women. WNBA 2021: Points of Education (Part 2) 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. McCutchen has long said that the NBA will hire the best people to fill the job, regardless of gender. "It's almost normal now. Referee Michael Oliver, however, waved play on and the VAR, Darren England, saw no reason to ask him to look again at his decision. Hussey has worked five G League seasons and two in the WNBA. Her expediated journey, as she describes, to the NBA began by navigating a very competitive, male-dominated, officiating industry where she quickly moved up the referee ladder. All Rights Reserved. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". San Diego State. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. And if it were male officials, you wouldnt call them sensitive.. Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. These were different times. Oct 15, 2022. The Associated Press released a study Friday regarding the NCAA referee pay gap. By TIM REYNOLDS October 18, 2021. #24 Scott, #77 Lane, #17 Sterling She competed in the Sweet 16 of the of the 2010 Division II NCAA Tournament. Her husband, Johnee Gleich, is currently an official in the NCAA. Two black women did something this week that no other women have done before: They refereed a professional basketball game together. Its not based on your gender, race or ethnicity.. "Being able to see myself in them -- they trailblazed that.". Schroeder said she'd love to see her daughter take up officiating when she grows up -- although she joked her wife, Anderson, may represent the more lucrative career path as a physician. Top 5 NBA female referees in the game today 1) Lauren Holtkamp . WNBA 2020 Playoffs: Points of Education (Part 2), 2019 WNBA Inside the Rulebook: Screens They all worked between 20 and 26 games as non-staff referees last season. Flores and Mosher join Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling, Simone Jelks, Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Natalie Sago, Jenna Schroeder and Danielle Scott as women at the full-time NBA referee level. Now in her third NBA season, she feels this is a whole new grind in comparison to her journey but there is no place else she would rather be. RotoWire considers the best player values in Yahoo fantasy leagues for Friday's 10-game slate. . Officiating In Perspective with Barry Mano, 2020 Womens National Basketball Association, 2017 Womens National Basketball Association Roster, 2016 Womens National Basketball Association Roster, Next Level Softball Umpiring Free Email Series, High School Volleyball Officials Quiz 2023.