Women are finally leaving their mark in a sport long dominated by men determined to rule the game and the NBA free picks. Throughout the NBA, female referees are proving they can go toe-to-toe with their male counterparts and hold their own in professional basketball officiating.
Women referees are playing an increasingly important role in the NBA. While it is still a male-dominated profession, the number of female referees has been steadily increasing in recent years. This is partly due to the league’s efforts to increase diversity and inclusion among its officiating staff.
A Long Time Coming
The NBA hired its first female referees in 1997. That year, it brought in Violet Palmer and Dee Kantner, but it would be almost 20 years before the ranks truly began to expand. Still, they were changing the game well before other leagues like the NFL and UEFA started to catch up.
While there are still far fewer female referees than men, they are slowly but surely making their mark in the NBA. In the 2019-20 season, there were four female officials: Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling, Jenna Schroeder, Natalie Sago, and Ashley Moyer-Gleich. This was up from just two women officials the previous season, and by 2021, there were six.
Many players and coaches have welcomed the increased presence of women referees. There have been a few snide remarks over the years, but no one can deny that females are more than proving themselves.
Women Refs Still Face Challenges
In order to become an NBA referee, one must complete a training program and officiate games in the NBA G League, the official minor league of the NBA. Although the process is the same for both men and women, there are fewer women who go through the training program and officiate in the G League.
One of the main challenges women referees face is that they are often not taken as seriously as their male counterparts. This can be attributed to the fact that there are far fewer women referees in the NBA than men. As a result, women referees have to work harder to prove themselves and earn respect from players and coaches.
Another challenge women referees face is that they often have to deal with sexist comments from players and fans. This is something that all female athletes have to deal with, but it can be especially tough for women referees because they are in a position of authority.
Breaking Barriers and Stereotypes
One of the most successful women referees in the NBA is Palmer. She began her career as a referee in the WNBA before moving on to the NBA. She has officiated a number of big games, including the NBA Finals.
Another successful woman referee in the NBA is Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling. She also began her career in the WNBA before moving to the NBA. She has officiated several big games, including playoff games.
In addition to these two successful female referees, many other women have made their mark in the NBA as officials. These women include Dee Kantner, Natalie Sago, and Ashley Moyer-Gleich. They have all officiated important games and made a positive impact on the NBA.
In 2023, Blanca Burns, already an established NBA ref, became the first female to call a game in Mexico. On February 1, she was the ref in the 113-119 victory of Mexico’s Capitanes de la Ciudad de México over the South Bay Lakers in a G League game.
The NBA has made great strides in breaking down barriers and stereotypes that once prevented female referees from having a chance to impact the game. Women like Sago, Holtkamp-Sterling, and Moyer-Gleich have all earned the respect of their peers and helped usher in a new era in officiating.
Not just in basketball, either, as they have helped erase the stigmas in all sports and continue to rewrite the book on who deserves a shot as a professional sports referee or umpire.
