wnba female referees wnba female referees

"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. By accessing any information beyond this page, you agree to abide by the Privacy Policy / Your California Privacy Rights and Terms of Use. Please logout and login again. "Middle child" is perhaps more fitting; as the only one of the five, current full-time women in the league with a direct connection to the Palmer/Kantner days. Off the court, Moyer-Gleich likes to spend time outdoors with her family, plan events and take photographs. "She really did an awesome job of reaching out to us and saying, 'Hey, I really want to start this group. Now were bearing the fruit of this.. CHICAGO --Prior to Game 3 of the 2021 WNBA Finals on Friday night, Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi addressed the $2,500 fine she received from the league for making "inappropriate contact . Because I've seen it done before.". Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. But now, in 2021-22, the NBA has six female referees on its full-time officiating staff, the most ever. Five full-time women in officiating today eclipses the total of the NFL, MLB and NHL combined. It does not store any personal data. You can e-mail himhere, findhis archive hereandfollow him on Twitter. Jelks describes one of the many attributes of being a great NBA official is holding players and coaches accountable for their actions. Palmer and Kantner were so much more than just trailblazers; the weight they shouldered eased the burden for all who came after. On top of that, shes getting as many reps as she possibly can at various levels and navigating up to four different sets of rulebooks, depending on her schedule. 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. Those changes include separate dedicated locker rooms for women officials. 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.. 2 min read. Cheryl Flores and Dannica Mosher have been promoted to the level of full-time staff officials, the NBA said Thursday. 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. With no big distinguishable difference between the referee pay for men and women, it's still clear that being a referee is a high-paying job. 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. 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). Entry-level NBA referees earn $250,000 per year as "rookies." Holtkamp officiated six seasons in the NBA G League and four seasons in the WNBA. The NBA promoted Danielle Scott to a full-time official on Monday, making her the sixth woman on the league's current staff. It put tears in her eyes "that someone would actually put me in that class of people." ncaa home, women, post season history: men, women 2022-23 2021-22 2020-21 2019-20 2018-19 NCAA Women Referee Leaders. 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 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. WNBA. Lifelong bonds have been formed within this group. Before joining the big-league ranks, Natalie Sago was a ref for the G-League and WNBA. 4 Sean Wright, Kallio a native of Edmonton, Alberta has seven years of G League experience, five years of WNBA experience and worked the Tokyo Olympics. Collect, curate and comment on your files. Fifteen of the largest college conferences paid their male referees on average 22% more than female referees in . According to numbers provided by the NBA, 16 of the 65 referees (28 percent) in the NBA G League are women, and at the conclusion of the 2017 WNBA season, 12 of the 32 referees (37 percent) were . Tramel: Referee Amy Bonner earns ultimate compliment in historic debut season in Big 12. . 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The NBA's roster of female referees continues to grow. 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. 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. Simone Jelks worked her first game in the NBA in 2019. 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. 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. 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 see little girls sitting courtside, parents asking me to take a picture with their little daughter," Moyer-Gleich said. Please logout and login again. Instead, the Farmington, Mo., native spent most of her time traveling with her dad, a high school and collegiate basketball referee for 35-plus years, to all of his games and tournaments. Not only that, but the grind to becoming a professional referee requires true dedication. In March 2015, the NBA began issuing Last Two Minutes reports that detail the performance of referees at the ends of games which the . And if it were male officials, you wouldnt call them sensitive.. McCutchen said the league has no data indicating referees are challenged more or less based on gender. Included aren't just the five women who have achieved full-time NBA status, but also many more working their way up through the G League or WNBA training ranks. "I always had that mentor, a role model on how to be successful in a male-dominated field," Schroeder said. @BrooklynNets at @celtics In 1997, Violet Palmer and Dee Kantner became the first women . Today, we're going to be taking a look at all three categories, how much each make and how a referee can climb their way up to the top level. 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. 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). We all started somewhere. While standing on the free-throw extended line during a timeout, Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling recalls a quiet yet powerful moment early in her NBA officiating career. None of it bothered me. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Today, she is best known for the memes that surfaced after an encounter she had with Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic. Erica Ayala. The NFL pays referees an average of $205,000 per annum. 3 Nick Buchert, Smithfield, Ky., 10. By. No. Before we do, check out a compilation video of every technical foul handed out last season. Sun Belt apologizes to Troy for refs' late blunder, Irish move past Wolfpack as Miles still sidelined, Spirit make NWSL history by signing 15-year-old, Volynets stops Stearns to reach first WTA semi, Shiffrin 4th in super-G, still chasing 86th win, Sheldon gives Buckeyes lift vs. Michigan in return, White out as Pitt hoops coach after 42-99 mark, All in the family: how three generations of Jaquezes have ruled West Coast basketball. Scott, the daughter of college basketball officials, was promoted Monday to the full-time NBA staff referee roster. Referee assignments are posted at approximately 9:00am ET each game day. 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. 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. Palmer broke barriers in 1997 when she became the first female to referee an NBA game. 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.. Referee Position. 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. It'll just be the norm.". 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. These officials begin with a salary of $250,000 as first-year referees. Meet Lauren Holtkamp, Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Natalie Sago, and now Jenna Schroeder. The league is ahead of its peers here, although progress must be viewed relatively. 2023 Getty Images. Palmer's focus was internal. No portion of NBA.com Long before she was hired in the NBA, the Flint, Mich., native didnt know that refereeing could be a full-time job. Everything we send is officiating specific because that's all we do. "This isn't, 'Let's go out and do social work,'" Monty McCutchen, NBA's vice president of referee development and training, said. She also enjoys Bikram yoga and swimming. No portion of NBA.com may be duplicated, redistributed or manipulated in any form. As WWE's New Day would say, shame! "Kids have to see that things are possible," Jelks said. 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. And 25 of the 63 referees in the G-League are women. Not Available. 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.. These goals are attainable now in ways they just couldn't have been even a generation prior. Natalie Sago says her time officiating games in the WNBA prepared her for an NBA officiating job. 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. Still, there's unanimous agreement that without the groundwork laid by the two trendsetters before them, the path would have been rockier. The NBA's roster of female referees continues to grow. According to the National Basketball Association (NBA), this is the first time ever that two female referees officiated the same NBA game. A record 12 women worked games last season in the NBA, some getting called up from the G League and non-staff levels to help when the leagues officiating roster was decimated by COVID-19. The NBAs roster of female referees continues to grow. Touchy, touchy. To order copies of Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling is the NBAs longest-tenured female official. Listed is the 2021 WNBA roster of officials, along with their number. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. Maj Forsberg, who came from Denmark and played for the Rainbow Wahine from 1996-2000, sat behind . 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. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Sago, 31, and Schroeder, 35, were two of the three people on the officiating crew . Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. "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. He was promoted to referee in 2006 and has overseen gameday officiating crews since. The most recent estimations put NBA referees annual salaries between $180,000 and $550,000. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution . And that is where the NBA has been busy in recent years. Women officials are often generalized as being too sensitive when they dont tolerate or permit certain forms of disrespect on the court. Before becoming an NBA referee, Holtkamp played college basketball at Southwest Missouri State. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. She becomes the sixth woman on the current staff, joining Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling, Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Simone . But Palmer and Kantner's influence on today's generation is immense and undeniable. Select referees by season: . WNBA 2020 Playoffs: Points of Education (Part 1) 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. Today, there are five full-time women referees in the NBA -- the most in the . We are excited for them to have reached this milestone in their careers.. I grew up watching her.". Effectively the glue for a crew through consistency, teamwork, and communication - makes partners better by carrying a larger portion of the crew's load than an Umpire. NBA adds 4 new full-time referees, including 2 female NBA referees . Shop NEW Women Hooping summer apparel: http://www.womenhooping.com/Support the channel through PAYPAL: paypal.me/womenhoopingORPlay as WNBA players/teams in . Professional referees in the National Basketball Association are divided into three distinctions: Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), entry-level and Senior. "And I say that very positively. The first category of referees we're going to be looking at is WNBA referees. 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. ET. I dont notice whether coaches are hands off. I havent seen any [bullying]. Listed is the 2021 WNBA roster of officials, along with their number. MLB umpires rake in an impressive $300,000 annually, and the referees in the NHL receives around $275,000 . The other five Sage, Schroeder, Simone Jelks, Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling and Ashley Moyer-Gleich are active in the league today and among . Im so happy for you.. Female NBA Referees Are Becoming a Normal Part of the Game. Its not uncommon, to be honest with you, Schroeder said with a laugh. The ability to advance in this career is evident. Moyer-Gleich recounts similar experiences. Schroeder explains the disparities within the NCAA when women officials were not being paid the same as the men and how that growing theme troubled her. Palmer and Kantner smashed this barrier; those who came after them are trying to stomp on its remains. 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.. 2021 Women's National Basketball Association. As a proud Black and LGBTQ woman, Palmer especially was a barrier-breaker in more ways than one. The second category of referees are the Entry-level NBA referees. Holtkamp reffed in the G-League for six years before eventually getting the call-up to the big stage. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Before becoming a ref in 2018, Moyer-Gleich officiated games for the WNBA. Under scrutiny from her first tipoff, Palmer instantly proved she could withstand the grumbling and ref . 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. 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. All Individual game assignments for referees are posted at NBA.com/official at approximately 9 a.m. Cheryl Flores and Dannica Mosher have been promoted to the level of full-time staff officials, the NBA said Thursday. "I'm not sure how it was that it remained so male-dominated for so long," said Silver last month. They get only $180,000 a year or $425 per match. WNBA 2021: Points of Education (Part 1) Scott credits her colleagues for helping to guide her throughout this first year as a full-time ref. 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. Floyd Mayweather interested in buying NBA team, Blake Griffin trolled by YouTuber courtside. Amy Bonner took up refereeing as a student at the University of Missouri in the early 1990s, calling rec league games, and by 2002 she was officiating games in the NBA's Developmental League. Ability to recognize and appropriately manage shifts in game conditions (intensity, emotions . Our paths are all different but we all got to the same end goal.. 12 12. 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. 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. Referee data is available for the 1988-89 through 2022-23 seasons. WNBA 2019: Points of Education (Part 1) She worked the 2013 and 2014 NBA G League Finals and the 2014 WNBA Conference Finals. All rights reserved. Twenty-four of the G League's 57 referees are women, plus several who jump between the NBA and G League (all NBA officials with under four years of experience are commonly assigned as crew chief for G League games to gain experience); 15 of the WNBA's 33 referees are women, nine of whom also work games in the G League. "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.". 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. Bonner already had started working NCAA Division I women's . Add four from the list of nine part-timers and the share of female refs bumps to 12%. The NBA Referee's salary varies according to the job distinction as well as the experience of the referee. 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. "She did it way before all of us, before the world we live in now that's all accepting," Moyer-Gleich said of Kantner. -. 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.. Holtkamp-Sterling, now 40, had just finished officiating a youth boy's game as the solo referee. Oct 15, 2022. Facebook. Copyright 2023 NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Katie Patterson. Probably. During one year of Schroeders journey, she worked seven days a week for six months straight. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Danielle Scott (right) talks with officiating partners during a game. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. Taking a look at the numbers behind Nikola Jokic's historic season for the Nuggets. None attempt to discount their own burdens that they overcame. While that was the most overtly negative experience Holtkamp-Sterling recalls from her career, it wasn't the only one. Now, there are five different women officiating games on a nightly basis. $18K. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about According to Career Trend, those who officiate WNBA games earn a salary of $180,000 per year to start. Looking for a way to soothe anxious nerves, she called Kantner before her first WNBA game, then again before her first NBA preseason game. any players who have declared for the 2022 WNBA draftincluding seniors, . That only works if there are sufficient aspirants to form a true competitive pool of candidates. Republication or distribution of this content is 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. The 2022-23 Stanford Cardinal women's basketball team will represent Stanford University during the 2022-23 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. Sago was a collegiate athlete but played softball instead of basketball. Earning a high school diploma or GED is the minimum education requirement for referees across league levels. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". WNBA 2020 Playoffs: Points of Education (Part 2), 2019 WNBA Inside the Rulebook: Screens A native of Cleveland, a city she describes as being filled with underdog energy and soul, her family relocated to the suburbs where Jelks, like many teenagers, yearned to fit in among her peers. These were different times. FFC Frankfurt and FCR 2001 Duisburg. Please try again. And this is not a skill you can learn overnight.. Strides are being made, even if we're still talking about small percentages of the overall population and more work is clearly needed. Certainly not. "It's almost normal now. 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 said to the guys: 'You can curse! She also has five years of high school officiating experience in her home state. ET. It's not a big deal anymore," she remembers thinking. "Those girls get to see me on this platform, working with men in a male-dominated field.". 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. . (Suggested reading: Floyd Mayweather interested in buying NBA team). Skype chats gave way to lengthy group texts, including several that persist to this day. Both entered the league fully in 1997, and Palmer, now 56, got the honor of making history when she donned the whistle for a late October game that year. The Australian was the first female to officiate the A-League series in 2015. Women's College Basketball. WNBA 2021: Points of Education (Part 3), 2020 WNBA Inside the Rulebook: Block, Charge Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling remembers feeling vulnerable, but not intimidated. With the . Holtkamp-Sterling finds comfort in having close working relationships with other NBA officials. 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. Schroeder's wife, Britta Anderson, was a pioneer in her own right: Back in 2011, with virtually no women in similar positions whatsoever, she was hired as the associate team physician for MLB's Detroit Tigers -- a role she still occupies today. "[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. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". The first female NBA referees Chuck Solomon/Getty Images. If you've ever wondered why Finals games seem like they're officiated by many of the same people year after year, it's because those are senior-level referees. 2020. She played through college and worked her way up the high school, college . Similar to Holtkamp, Jelks played basketball at a highly competitive level before entering the world of officiating. I thought that was awesome. Jelks describes people telling her that their daughters tune into NBA games she works and won't even focus on the players; their eyes only on her. Currently, there are six female referees who work NBA games, up from one, Lauren Holtkamp, seven years ago. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. Her currency? Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We [officials] are human, too. Browse 1,151 wnba referees stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. In the beginning, back in 1997, there were two: Violet Palmer and Dee Kantner. "I'll prove myself amongst them, so they'll look at me as just a referee," Palmer said of her mindset at the time. She played in high school and college in Croatia and Puerto Rico before returning to the States and becoming a ref. As of last season, 11 different women were employed in assistant coaching positions around the NBA. Simone Jelks, the first Black woman hired in this role since Palmer herself, was also one of several women to attend Palmer's yearly refereeing camps before reaching the NBA level (such camps are common in the refereeing world, both for development and scouting; Palmer's is open to all collegiate officials). She got her professional start in the WNBA, which was a big deal for her because she grew up idolizing players such as Candace Parker and Diana Taurasi. The article is made available for educational use by individuals. 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. "There's no reason why we shouldn't have more women as officials, coaches and basketball executives in our league," Silver said. Referee Michael Oliver, however, waved play on and the VAR, Darren England, saw no reason to ask him to look again at his decision. N BA commissioner Adam Silver wants more female referees in the NBA. McCutchen has long said that the NBA will hire the best people to fill the job, regardless of gender. 1. 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. Turner is permitted to get to a spot twitter.com/i/web/status/1, TONIGHT According to Career Trend, those who officiate WNBA games earn a salary of $180,000 per year to start. Holtkamp-Sterling has become a big sister figure to the other women in the program. 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. Boger is the only referee to retire this offseason. WNBA 2019: Points of Education (Part 2) Inspiration was even easier to come by for Jenna Schroeder, 35, another former collegiate athlete who, like Holtkamp-Sterling, transitioned to the officiating side following college. 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. 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. Any player or coach would be ill-advised to go there. 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. 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. Cheryl Flores and Dannica Mosher have been promoted to the level of full-time staff officials, the NBA said Thursday. I was totally fan-girling. Conley was in the G League for seven seasons, Schwab for five and, like Scott, they also worked WNBA games this season. Of course," Palmer, who retired from the NBA in 2016, said. Rules, interpretations, mechanics, philosophies and other information may or may not be correct for the current year.