But now, in 2021-22, the NBA has six female referees on its full-time officiating staff, the most ever. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. 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). 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. "Dee did it in a day where I'm sure she didn't have that support.". WNBA 2021: Points of Education (Part 3), 2020 WNBA Inside the Rulebook: Block, Charge 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. Those whispers Holtkamp-Sterling would hear as she entered the league years later? And not everyone was comfortable. It put tears in her eyes "that someone would actually put me in that class of people." The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. 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. But she viewed the NBA as a challenge to conquer, plus she took comfort in the fact that at the time, NBA mechanics were actually pretty similar to those she was used to at the women's college level. 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. RotoWire names five under-the-radar players who could add value to your rosters as we approach fantasy playoffs. Looking for a way to soothe anxious nerves, she called Kantner before her first WNBA game, then again before her first NBA preseason game. 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. All five women said they'd absolutely recommend refereeing both men's and women's basketball to any young woman with the drive and dedication. College basketball referees for D-1 men's NCAA games make over $2,000 per game and they can work over 70 games per season, so their annual salary for working the NCAA season is approximately $150,000 the same as an entry-level ref in the NBA. Holtkamp officiated in numerous collegiate conferences, including the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Big East and Colonial Athletic. WNBA referee Kevin Fahy is facing criticism for his extravagant ejection of Chicago Sky center Astou Ndour. She etched her name into the history books as the first mother to officiate a league game. Marc J. Spears, a senior writer for ESPN . So my predecessors recognized this and put those seeds into the G League. 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. But now, in 2021-22, the NBA has six female referees on its full-time officiating staff, the most ever. The hiring of Holtkamp-Sterling (the "Sterling" comes from Jonathan, her husband and fellow NBA referee) was a first domino of sorts with Silver's modern NBA, after almost two decades of no upward movement for women referees. 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. They congratulated me for getting hired and being in the WNBA, I was like, thats crazy because I was watching you guys when I was 12 years old and now were working together.. Her husband, Johnee Gleich, is currently an official in the NCAA. 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.. Now check your email to confirm your subscription to the Referee.com Review. 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. It does not store any personal data. The NBA feels very strongly that this should be a meritocracy. Browse 1,151 wnba referees stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Once an individual reaches senior level, they make an average of $500,000 per year. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about And to this day, I dont think people know that thats actually a thing.. While the NBA continues to be at the forefront of providing more opportunities for women officials, other leagues such as the NFL and the American Hockey Association (the NHLs minor league affiliate) have taken strides in recent years with hiring their first women officials. As a proud Black and LGBTQ woman, Palmer especially was a barrier-breaker in more ways than one. Jelks, along with her female counterparts, dont pay much attention to what fans or critics have to say and know they wouldnt be here if it wasnt for their esteemed skillset. 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 . Before joining the big-league ranks, Natalie Sago was a ref for the G-League and WNBA. R denotes rookie. Was the buffer Palmer and Kantner created an impenetrable one? They make up 8% of the 75-member officiating staff. During one year of Schroeders journey, she worked seven days a week for six months straight. Other projections put the base salary for new referees somewhere around $250,000. When we see one referee get some type of accolade, we highlight it on our pages on social media. Tickets for the WNBA's first-ever preseason matchup in Canada featuring the Chicago Sky and the Minnesota Lynx go on sale Wednesday, March 8, on International Women's Day. College Park Skyhawks GM Tori Miller is breaking barriers in the landscape of pro sports. The current group of eight full-timers all did games, as did Clare Aubry, ShaRae Mitchell, Blanca Burns and Jenna Reneau. The referees had to be ready and so did the players, coaches and fans. . Add onto that insurance, retirement plans and the opportunity to travel the country for free, it's no wonder referees stick around for the long haul. She played through college and worked her way up the high school, college . The NBAs roster of female referees continues to grow. 2019 WNBA Inside the Rulebook: Continuation While Palmer and Kantner are no longer working for the NBA, their legacies live on. No. RotoWire considers the best player values in Yahoo fantasy leagues for Friday's 10-game slate. The NBA, like the society it's part of, inches ever closer to true equity. McCutchen said the league has no data indicating referees are challenged more or less based on gender. And to the people who run the NBA's officiating program, efforts in recent years to open recruiting pathways and increase diversity are far from merely symbolic: They're practical for a league always striving to improve. It was that support and recognition that both of us were sort of in the space that women arent typically in and that we were sort of bolstered by seeing each other there, doing the work, said Holtkamp-Sterling. However, her journey was slightly different from some of her female counterparts. Because I've seen it done before.". Officials will be evaluated after each round of the playoffs to determine future advancement in the 2021 postseason. In 1997, Violet Palmer and Dee Kantner became the first women to serve as referees in the NBA. Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling is the NBAs longest-tenured female official. Active referees are listed in bold. Jul 6, 2018, 01:32 PM EDT. Not Available. The NBA's roster of female referees continues to grow. 3 Nick Buchert, Smithfield, Ky., 10. They allow the league's scouts to evaluate larger swaths of the population and identify greater cumulative talent. @ESPNNBA WNBA 2020 Playoffs: Points of Education (Part 2), 2019 WNBA Inside the Rulebook: Screens 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. 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. Holtkamp officiated six seasons in the NBA G League and four seasons in the WNBA. The NBA now has eight women at the full-time referee level, the most the league has ever had at one time. She is the leagues longest-tenured woman official. All parties involved can talk about themes like equality until they're blue in the face, but the truest mark of that state is actually when it's not a constant discussion topic. "I just hope one day we can stop counting. 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. "Here we are in a very male-dominated space, and the league was very proactive to make sure I had what I needed.". Before we do, check out a compilation video of every technical foul handed out last season. The NBA's roster of female referees continues to grow. None of it bothered me. Those inside the program aren't the only ones seeing this progress anymore, either. Referees: Katie Lukanich, Darren Krzesnik, Kyle Bacon. 2 min read. According to Career Trend, those who officiate WNBA games earn a salary of $180,000 per year to start. All rights reserved. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. And thats the way our society should be, McCutchen said. This article is the copyright of Referee Enterprises, Inc., and may not be republished in whole or in part online, in print or in any capacity without expressed written permission from Referee. Who was the highest paid female NFL referee during the 2021-22 season? According to Career Trend, WNBA referees earn a base salary of $180,000 per year. 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. "Her advice is always authentic.". (Suggested reading: Blake Griffin trolled by YouTuber courtside), Be the first one to comment on this story. 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. NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee Guide, Proficient in Referee and Umpire positions, High-level play calling, partnering skills, and tools for handling any game situation, including interpersonal communication, Understands the importance of extending into their secondary area of coverage, with accuracy, Proficient in all Umpire position requirements, Effectively the glue for a crew through consistency, teamwork, and communication - makes partners better by carrying a larger portion of the crews load than an Umpire, Capable of handling some plays in secondary area of coverage, Ability to recognize and appropriately manage shifts in game conditions (intensity, emotions, decorum, style of play etc. 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. Professional basketball has broken world barriers by having star players from countless different countries and broken the gender barrier as well. Next up is Simone Jelks, who became the league's seventh full-time female ref in 2019. Grasping it entirely is a struggle. In March 2015, the NBA began issuing Last Two Minutes reports that detail the performance of referees at the ends of games which the . Katie Patterson. Today, though, this is frankly the bare minimum; no one in the league office is patting themselves on the back for simply keeping up with the times. A WNBA referee has been slammed by fans after ejecting a player after the pair appeared to accidentally bump into each other. It was early in Holtkamp-Sterling's young basketball officiating career, years before she'd ascend to the NBA level. Currently, there are six female referees who work NBA games, up from one, Lauren Holtkamp, seven years ago. The 2004 graduate of Brush High School worked 16 regular-season NBA . Skype chats gave way to lengthy group texts, including several that persist to this day. Were capable and not just capable but like beyond excellent and can do the job just as well as our male counterparts.. "I always had that mentor, a role model on how to be successful in a male-dominated field," Schroeder said. Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. NBA.com spoke with each of the six women to learn more about their unique journeys to the league: Jenna Schroeder talks with Spurs guard Dejounte Murray before a game. SHARE. Ashley Moyer-Gleich has been a hooper her whole life. In the 1990s, only two female referees managed to work their way to the top. When it comes to mentors within the officiating world, though, it all comes back to the paths forged before them. The other five Sage, Schroeder, Simone Jelks, Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling and Ashley Moyer-Gleich are active in the league today and among . In addition, referees are paid bonus money for working the playoffs and NBA Finals. According to a warrant for Morrow's arrest, he's facing charges of assault by strangulation, second-degree kidnapping and communicating threats. Since Holtkamp-Sterling, four more women have been hired as full-time NBA referees. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. ESPN was unable to obtain comment from Kantner, 60, for this story. Ashley Moyer-Gleich talks with Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. She was working a high school AAU tournament one weekend when a bystander approached her with a simple question: Why dont you do this for a living? Scott has spent much of her first year in the league building rapport with the players and teams. 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. Camp Hill resident Ashley Moyer-Gleich is in her second month as the fourth-ever female NBA referee. Sago, Holtkamp-Sterling, Schroeder and Moyer-Gleich were all on-hand in Clearwater, Florida to celebrate Sago's 30th birthday a couple summers ago (Jelks wasn't yet a full-time official). 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. Compared to other sports, referee's earnings in the NBA and WNBA are among the best. Referee - August 12, 2021. NBA officials Simone Jelks (left) and Ashley Moyer-Gleich working a game together in Chicago. Mosher has . The NBA now has the most . Our paths are all different but we all got to the same end goal.. Shop NEW Women Hooping summer apparel: http://www.womenhooping.com/Support the channel through PAYPAL: paypal.me/womenhoopingORPlay as WNBA players/teams in . Sago was a collegiate athlete but played softball instead of basketball. Areas like these come to the forefront as the NBA continues to strive for an earned reputation as a progressive organization. Entry-level referees are on the lower end of that scale and receive larger paydays the longer they are in the league. "In recent years, we have focused on expanding our pipeline of officials to greatly increase the pool of potential hires, and we have seen encouraging results, not only in the NBA but in the WNBA and the G League as well," Adam Silver, who became NBA commissioner in 2014, said to ESPN. Several of the full-timers are close friends off the court. Be the first one to comment on this story. Women's Champ Week predictions: Which teams will win the auto bids in all 32 conferences? "This isn't, 'Let's go out and do social work,'" Monty McCutchen, NBA's vice president of referee development and training, said. February 4, 2021. Before becoming an NBA referee, Holtkamp played college basketball at Southwest Missouri State. This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. -. As a young girl, the basketball court was one of the only places where Simone Jelks could simply be herself. Fahy walked into Ndour during the second quarter while looking in the opposite direction . Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. I think when I got hired, that had its own sort of significance and same for all the women after me. It hits harder now after years of reflection. Of course," Palmer, who retired from the NBA in 2016, said. "I remember learning about Dee and Violet being NBA referees," Holtkamp-Sterling said of her younger self. "Did I hear it? When she retired in 2016 after her 18-season career, it was back to one: Lauren Holtkamp. You can talk about the girl in the fifth row with the big ta-tas! 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. Off the court, Moyer-Gleich likes to spend time outdoors with her family, plan events and take photographs. I grew up watching her.". Players, Teams, Seasons, Leaders , . Simone Jelks worked her first game in the NBA in 2019. Floyd Mayweather interested in buying NBA team, Blake Griffin trolled by YouTuber courtside. "They say I'm the sixth female referee in the NBA," said Schroeder, the sixth woman officially hired as a full-time NBA referee. During the 2021-22 NFL season, the . Female referees make a maximum single-game pay of $5,000 if they work the Super Bowl. Ashley Moyer-Gleich, 33, a former Millersville University college basketball player who debuted as a full-time NBA referee in 2018 after working in the WNBA, took years of mentorship from Kantner; both are from cities within an hour of each other in Pennsylvania. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". 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 NBA's roster of female referees continues to grow. "I said to the guys: 'You can curse! And Silver . By accessing any information beyond this page, you agree to abide by the Privacy Policy / Your California Privacy Rights and Terms of Use. Scott, the daughter of college basketball officials, was promoted Monday to the full-time NBA staff referee roster. 2023 Getty Images. 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. :-). Cheryl, Robert, Matt and Dannica have demonstrated the ability and professionalism required to be a full-time NBA officiating staff member, said Monty McCutchen, the NBAs senior vice president overseeing referee development and training. But Palmer and Kantner's influence on today's generation is immense and undeniable. 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. 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. As of last season, 11 different women were employed in assistant coaching positions around the NBA. The first time Jenna Schroeder was booed by 40,000 NBA fans as she exited the court, she knew she had finally made it. The initiative is one that comes straight from the top of the NBA hierarchy. Natalie Sago didnt watch much NBA basketball growing up. Holtkamp-Sterling has become a big sister figure to the other women in the program. All "She'll always say, if I did it, you can do it. $425. She told The Daily Telegraph she almost quit officiating due to A-holes in the crowd yelling derogatory things to her. The Associated Press released a study Friday regarding the NCAA referee pay gap. WNBA 2019: Points of Education (Part 1) 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. Sago says she will always praise the WNBA for helping prepare her for the NBA. As WWE's New Day would say, shame! 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. And despite having to transcend this gendered space, the officials recognize that the job of refereeing is not actually gendered work. 4 Sean Wright, "[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. 1. 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..