Turner is permitted to get to a spot twitter.com/i/web/status/1, TONIGHT 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. Earn a high school diploma. Success! 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). Boger is the only referee to retire this offseason. WNBA 2021: Points of Education (Part 2) More than anything, it's that normalcy that today's women NBA referees aspire to. Furthermore, a lot of WNBA referees spend their off-season refereeing Division I women's (and men's) college basketball games. Before joining the big-league ranks, Natalie Sago was a ref for the G-League and WNBA. RotoWire considers the best player values in Yahoo fantasy leagues for Friday's 10-game slate. They make up 8% of the 75-member officiating staff. "[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. Although there's no word on what their yearly raise looks like, after three to five years of working as an entry-level referee, officials are eligible to be promoted to the next level. College Park Skyhawks GM Tori Miller is breaking barriers in the landscape of pro sports. Lifelong bonds have been formed within this group. Who will win nationals? 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. According to the National Basketball Association (NBA), this is the first time ever that two female referees officiated the same NBA game. Natalie Sago was a ref for the G-League and WNBA. He . It does not store any personal data. 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. And thats the way our society should be, McCutchen said. When shes not working a game or traveling to the next city, the four-year NBA official remains dedicated to the league 24-7 from studying film to communicating with her associates. Now were bearing the fruit of this.. Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. Referee - August 12, 2021. As our numbers are increasing, that sort of noteworthiness is becoming more about this collective experience and collective momentum that is here and thats just really, really rewarding.. Listed is the 2021 WNBA roster of officials, along with their number. The setting was a local recreation center in her home state of Missouri, where she'd previously played four years of college basketball at Drury University before becoming a referee. As a lifelong hooper and collegiate player, Ashley Moyer-Gleich knows first-hand about those frustrating moments during a game, like when a whistle is blown against her or not getting a call after thinking she was fouled. In March 2015, the NBA began issuing Last Two Minutes reports that detail the performance of referees at the ends of games which the . Weve all been rookies, whether youre a coach, a player or a referee. 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. The NBA feels very strongly that this should be a meritocracy. 2023 Getty Images. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Was the buffer Palmer and Kantner created an impenetrable one? Professional referees in the National Basketball Association are divided into three distinctions: Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), entry-level and Senior. "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.'". Browse 1,151 wnba referees stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. "We are a very empowered group of women," Jelks said. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. As of last season, 11 different women were employed in assistant coaching positions around the NBA. Captaincy chaos and Waldrum ultimatums - Will Nigeria be ready for World Cup. | Subscribe to access all D1 ref data. Our paths are all different but we all got to the same end goal.. I had absolutely no idea you could be a referee and make a living out of it. ), Aggressively and accurately calls plays in the primary area of responsibility, Responsible for basic mechanics including rotations, positioning and clock and team foul awareness, Strong rules knowledge coupled with contributions to in-game discussions/issues regarding adjudication. 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. She also has five years of high school officiating experience in her home state. . The other five women officials speak highly and graciously of her and look to her as a mentor as well as a trailblazer for referees. 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 see little girls sitting courtside, parents asking me to take a picture with their little daughter," Moyer-Gleich said. Im so happy for you.. Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling is the NBAs longest-tenured female official. 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. 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. "Those girls get to see me on this platform, working with men in a male-dominated field.". -. As far as WNBA referees, they make considerably less. ESPN was unable to obtain comment from Kantner, 60, for this story. Now check your email to confirm your subscription to the Referee.com Review. Today, she is best known for the memes that surfaced after an encounter she had with Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic. Referee, the worlds original sports officiating magazine, educates, challenges and inspires officials at all levels. They all worked between 20 and 26 games as non-staff referees last season. 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. But Palmer and Kantner's influence on today's generation is immense and undeniable. Facebook. 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. The women that are coming on the scene now are helping us -- we're not helping them.". Those inside the program aren't the only ones seeing this progress anymore, either. 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. permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. 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. 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.. All Rights Reserved. The first category is WNBA referees, the second is entry-level referees and the third is the top of the line senior referees the best of the best. Durant, a four-time scoring champion, now sets his sights on Hakeem Olajuwon in 12th place. "I feel very grateful that there were people before me to have experienced the initial pushback of what it's like being a female in a male-driven world," Jelks said. Shop NEW Women Hooping summer apparel: http://www.womenhooping.com/Support the channel through PAYPAL: paypal.me/womenhoopingORPlay as WNBA players/teams in . While top NBA stars such as LeBron James and Steph Curry pocket about $38 million to $40 million annually, the highest-paid WNBA stars don't even broach half a million. Consider a theme like locker rooms. #24 Scott, #77 Lane, #17 Sterling While Palmer and Kantner are no longer working for the NBA, their legacies live on. October 13, 2022 9:36 AM. Danielle Scott decided to join the family business. 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. View. "Being a Black woman herself, being a trailblazer as the first African-American [woman referee] in the NBA, she understands 100% of the challenges that I face," Jelks, 35, said. The Getty Images design is a trademark of 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. 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. Natalie Sago didnt watch much NBA basketball growing up. This season has seen a record 7 female referees officiate at least one game in the NBA. 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. As a proud Black and LGBTQ woman, Palmer especially was a barrier-breaker in more ways than one. I think that the NBA is very visual and theyve done a great job of showing that. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network, *Translations are limited to select pages, Miller making history as female G League GM, Women referees among latest called up to work games, Female officials Q&A Part 1: Path to the NBA, Female officials Q&A Part 2: Womens empowerment, Ex-NBA player Morrow facing assault charges, Durant passes 'Big O' for 13th in career points, NBA Fantasy: Under-the-radar additions for playoffs, Magic's Isaac (torn adductor) out for rest of season, Triple-double win streak shows Jokic dominance, NBA DFS Picks: Yahoo plays and strategy for March 3. Please try again. Female NBA Referees Are Becoming a Normal Part of the Game. 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 cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Now, there are five different women officiating games on a nightly basis. 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. A WNBA referee has been slammed by fans after ejecting a player after the pair appeared to accidentally bump into each other. None of it bothered me. The WNBA Playoffs 2021 presented by Google will tip off on Thursday, Sept. 23 with two first-round single-elimination games on ESPN2. For female basketball referees, men's college basketball may be the bleakest of frontiers. After a successful college career, she began working her way up as an official. There won't be a number anymore. 4 Sean Wright, 2020 WNBA Inside the Rulebook: Block, Charge. 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. And despite having to transcend this gendered space, the officials recognize that the job of refereeing is not actually gendered work. The referees had to be ready and so did the players, coaches and fans. She also enjoys Bikram yoga and swimming. Were capable and not just capable but like beyond excellent and can do the job just as well as our male counterparts.. Holtkamp, Moyer-Gleich, and Sago were the only three female referees that were active in the NBA for the 2018 season. 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. According to Career Trend, those who officiate WNBA games earn a salary of $180,000 per year to start. Be the first one to comment on this story. And not everyone was comfortable. :-). With more female referees officiating games, fans have begun to wonder if there's a pay gap between female referees and male referees. February 4, 2021. In this particular business, thats one of the loftiest goals of diversity: Sameness. Any player or coach would be ill-advised to go there. It'll just be the norm.". Within several years, for the 2014-15 season, Holtkamp-Sterling would become the first woman hired as a full-time NBA official in nearly two decades. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free), Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. Rules, interpretations, mechanics, philosophies and other information may or may not be correct for the current year. She was blown away recently when a friend referred to her as the "Jackie Robinson of officiating." Im sure we would have been open to it, said Sam Perkins, forward/center who played for four teams from 1984 to 2001 and is now the treasurer for the National Basketball Retired Players Association. As it turns out, there are three categories that NBA referees fall into. Not that anyone is counting or, at least, needs to be. When it comes to mentors within the officiating world, though, it all comes back to the paths forged before them. The NBA promoted Danielle Scott to a full-time official on Monday, making her the sixth woman on the league's current staff. By. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of all the cookies. Ashley Moyer-Gleich has been a hooper her whole life. The NBA Referee's salary varies according to the job distinction as well as the experience of the referee. After all, she could have stayed in women's basketball, where she was one of the top officials in the college world. WNBA 2020: Points of Education (Part 1) The 2004 graduate of Brush High School worked 16 regular-season NBA . Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. Because the Women's National Basketball Association is less successful than the NBA and has a shorter season, WNBA officials earn significantly less than NBA officials. 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. My ideals completely match up with the NBAs and I think it would be difficult to work for a company if your ideals didnt and I just feel very fortunate that they believe in everything I believe in.. No. Ex-Rainbow Wahine Maj Forsberg makes mark in WNBA landscape as league's only female crew chief. "Like Vice President Harris, she worked her way to the . Its not based on your gender, race or ethnicity.. In recent years there has been a massive uptick in female referees in the NBA. And if it were male officials, you wouldnt call them sensitive.. And 25 of the 63 referees in the G-League are women. She served as a WNBA referee in 2018. Since Holtkamp-Sterling, four more women have been hired as full-time NBA referees. Copyright 2023 NBA Media Ventures, LLC. That only works if there are sufficient aspirants to form a true competitive pool of candidates. 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. ET each game day. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. The NBA's roster of female referees continues to grow. Jul 6, 2018, 01:32 PM EDT. None of it deterred her -- in fact, quite the opposite. Were looking for the best referees, McCutchen said. Referee Position. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Despite women entering the professional sports ranks in historically all-male leagues - Jen Welter was an Arizona Cardinals assistant coaching intern this summer, and former WNBA star Becky Hammon . Sago, 31, and Schroeder, 35, were two of the three people on the officiating crew . Cheryl Flores and Dannica Mosher have been promoted to the level of full-time staff officials, the NBA said Thursday. In addition, referees are paid bonus money for working the playoffs and NBA Finals. Back then, Palmer hardly had time to consider the significance of her accomplishment. She served as a WNBA referee in 2018. 4091. 7:30 PM ET Cheryl Flores and Dannica Mosher have been promoted to the level of full-time staff officials, the NBA said Thursday. All we have to do is find the best referees and open our eyes to half of the population.. SHARE. Compared to other sports, referee's earnings in the NBA and WNBA are among the best. 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. 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. With the . Areas like these come to the forefront as the NBA continues to strive for an earned reputation as a progressive organization. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. WNBA 2019: Points of Education (Part 1) . 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. 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. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 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 becomes the sixth woman on the current staff, joining Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling, Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Simone . The former Cedar Crest and Millersville guard wasn't planning to be a ref at all but a college . It's not a big deal anymore," she remembers thinking. The ability to advance in this career is evident. If they are working full then they are paid $250,000 per season. 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. 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 . "I always had that mentor, a role model on how to be successful in a male-dominated field," Schroeder said. It hits harder now after years of reflection. Moyer-Gleich played basketball at Millersville University in Pennsylvania. Moyer-Gleich officiated three seasons in the NBA G League, including the 2018 playoffs. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution And thats not where the NBA or any other meritocracy wants to be if its goal is to have the most talented, hardest-working members get the most opportunities and rise highest. "This isn't, 'Let's go out and do social work,'" Monty McCutchen, NBA's vice president of referee development and training, said. Referee, the world's original sports officiating magazine, educates, challenges and inspires officials at all levels. (See the clip below.) The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting. Holtkamp-Sterling finds comfort in having close working relationships with other NBA officials. WNBA referees even less. ET. "It's needed for women in this industry that already have a lot of things going against them. Similar to Holtkamp, Jelks played basketball at a highly competitive level before entering the world of officiating. Sago was a collegiate athlete but played softball instead of basketball. Meet Lauren Holtkamp, Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Natalie Sago, and now Jenna Schroeder. The article is made available for educational use by individuals. So, we make mistakes out there on the floor, but the main thing is we have to just move on and reset., For me, if something goes wrong or if I can do something better, I look at the clock, then memorize the time on the game clock and time on the shot clock and just reset.. All that self-affirmation has finally come full circle. Conley was in the G League for seven seasons, Schwab for five and, like Scott, they also worked WNBA games this season. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. The first female NBA referees. 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. @ESPNNBA 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 . Michaela Gilmer is an Interactive Producer for NBA.com. In the beginning, back in 1997, there were two: Violet Palmer and Dee Kantner. I see the competitive spirit of coaches treating everyone the same, he said. To order Several of the full-timers are close friends off the court. I thought that was awesome. I grew up watching her.". Flores has spent nine seasons in the G League and 10 in the WNBA, and is also an accomplished women's college referee with . But again, thats counting. Ability to recognize and appropriately manage shifts in game conditions (intensity, emotions . Her love for simply being on the basketball court fused with her desire to prove those naysayers wrong. WNBA 2021: Points of Education (Part 1) to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about Legitimate acceptance has come in waves. She officiated games for the B-League, WNBA, Big East, and ACC during her journey to the top. Its not uncommon, to be honest with you, Schroeder said with a laugh. While that was the most overtly negative experience Holtkamp-Sterling recalls from her career, it wasn't the only one. These were different times. 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. NBA officials Simone Jelks (left) and Ashley Moyer-Gleich working a game together in Chicago. From coaches to players, we have it all. By accessing any information beyond this page, you agree to abide by the Privacy Policy / Your California Privacy Rights and Terms of Use. And as the first to reach this plateau since, she's turned around and served a similarly important role for those following her. In the second game, the fifth-seeded Phoenix Mercury faces the eighth-seeded New York Liberty at 10 p.m. The Australian was the first female to officiate the A-League series in 2015. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. By TIM REYNOLDS October 18, 2021. Jelks views Palmer as a key mentor in multiple ways. The salary slab of referees is decided as per their experience. "Dee did it in a day where I'm sure she didn't have that support.". Her currency? (Suggested reading: Blake Griffin trolled by YouTuber courtside), Be the first one to comment on this story. Currently, there are six female referees who work NBA games, up from one, Lauren Holtkamp, seven years ago. $425. "There are a lot of things I want to say about the officiating . 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. And Silver . Simone Jelks worked her first game in the NBA in 2019. "She taught me how to carry myself, how to be comfortable being the only woman in the room all the time.