"Those girls get to see me on this platform, working with men in a male-dominated field.". 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. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. As of last season, 11 different women were employed in assistant coaching positions around the NBA. Just as meaningful, though, is the broader support structure that's been created. Bonner already had started working NCAA Division I women's . Ashley Moyer-Gleich talks with Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell. The referees had to be ready and so did the players, coaches and fans. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Listed is the 2021 WNBA roster of officials, along with their number. And to this day, I dont think people know that thats actually a thing.. Of course," Palmer, who retired from the NBA in 2016, said. More than anything, it's that normalcy that today's women NBA referees aspire to. Sago says she will always praise the WNBA for helping prepare her for the NBA. Palmer and Kantner were so much more than just trailblazers; the weight they shouldered eased the burden for all who came after. None of it bothered me. Were looking for the best referees, McCutchen said. Note: This article is archival in nature. However, her journey was slightly different from some of her female counterparts. Jelks views Palmer as a key mentor in multiple ways. Back then, Palmer hardly had time to consider the significance of her accomplishment. We [officials] are human, too. "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. Holtkamp-Sterling has become a big sister figure to the other women in the program. She heard whispers from some corners of the sport. Cheryl Flores and Dannica Mosher have been promoted to the level of full-time staff officials, the NBA said Thursday. Basketball Referee Salaries for Other Leagues. 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. 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. Before becoming an NBA referee, Holtkamp played college basketball at Southwest Missouri State. Ashley Moyer-Gleich (gleash) has officiated 110 regular-season games in four seasons as an NBA staff official. Individual game assignments for referees are posted at NBA.com/official at approximately 9 a.m. The 2022-23 Stanford Cardinal women's basketball team will represent Stanford University during the 2022-23 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. "I said to the guys: 'You can curse! WNBA 2020 Playoffs: Points of Education (Part 2), 2019 WNBA Inside the Rulebook: Screens Fifteen of the largest college conferences paid their male referees on average 22% more than female referees in . While that was the most overtly negative experience Holtkamp-Sterling recalls from her career, it wasn't the only one. "But did it bother me? The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". 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. Career Explorer Guide also estimated . 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. (Suggested reading: Blake Griffin trolled by YouTuber courtside), Be the first one to comment on this story. copyright 2023 National Basketball Referees Association. 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. There's simply a desire to make this world, and others like it, more accessible. 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.. Before finally making her way to the league, Schroeder reffed in almost every league imaginable. 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 . 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. 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? You can talk about the girl in the fifth row with the big ta-tas! 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. Six women referees took part in the . 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 . To that effect, there have been real efforts toward promoting equality and diversity within the officiating ranks, the sort that may not make headlines but truly advance a progressive agenda. 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 approval of her peers in the officiating world. Earning a high school diploma or GED is the minimum education requirement for referees across league levels. She was the first female referee in German professional football. Facebook. 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. By. . It would quickly give way not only to an increase in gender diversity among officials, but to an inspiring tale of women empowerment and mentorship at the highest levels of a traditionally male field -- one full of locker room anecdotes, weekly Skype chats, group birthday vacations and a number of challenges. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. It stuck for good, always as a term of endearment. Here's the 12 hottest female referees on the planet. These officials begin with a salary of $250,000 as first-year referees. Please logout and login again. Those changes include separate dedicated locker rooms for women officials. Touchy, touchy. 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. The NBA's roster of female referees continues to grow. "Lauren took about six of us under her wing a couple summers ago," Sago said. Off the court, Moyer-Gleich likes to spend time outdoors with her family, plan events and take photographs. In its . By accessing any information beyond this page, you agree to abide by the Privacy Policy / Your California Privacy Rights and Terms of Use. 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. Turner is permitted to get to a spot twitter.com/i/web/status/1, TONIGHT From coaches to players, we have it all. You really dont know until you sit down and read a rule book, says Moyer-Gleich. Active referees are listed in bold. The Australian was the first female to officiate the A-League series in 2015. The other five Sage, Schroeder, Simone Jelks, Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling and Ashley Moyer-Gleich are active in the league today and among . And this is not a skill you can learn overnight.. None attempt to discount their own burdens that they overcame. 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.. 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. The league is ahead of its peers here, although progress must be viewed relatively. 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. She was blown away recently when a friend referred to her as the "Jackie Robinson of officiating." As far as WNBA referees, they make considerably less. In the second game, the fifth-seeded Phoenix Mercury faces the eighth-seeded New York Liberty at 10 p.m. Five full-time women in officiating today eclipses the total of the NFL, MLB and NHL combined. $18K. 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 names she's invoking are Violet Palmer and Dee Kantner, the first full-time women referees to ever work in the NBA. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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. The most recent estimations put NBA referees annual salaries between $180,000 and $550,000. 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. ESPN was unable to obtain comment from Kantner, 60, for this story. In recent years there has been a massive uptick in female referees in the NBA. The salary slab of referees is decided as per their experience. 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. "Dee did it in a day where I'm sure she didn't have that support.". They were audible conversations for Palmer and Kantner, and sometimes more. 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. It's not a big deal anymore," she remembers thinking. "I see little girls sitting courtside, parents asking me to take a picture with their little daughter," Moyer-Gleich said. 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. The first female NBA referees Chuck Solomon/Getty Images. Her husband, Johnee Gleich, is currently an official in the NCAA. Top 5 NBA female referees in the game today 1) Lauren Holtkamp . WNBA. If they are working full then they are paid $250,000 per season. NBA adds 4 new full-time referees, including 2 female NBA referees . "They say I'm the sixth female referee in the NBA," said Schroeder, the sixth woman officially hired as a full-time NBA referee. In his words, all the league had to do was hire the best people for the job. I was totally fan-girling. Players, Teams, Seasons, Leaders , . Jul 6, 2018, 01:32 PM EDT. All Rights Reserved. Not Available. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. In the N.B.A., four of the 70 full-time officials last season were women, the league said. This season has seen a record 7 female referees officiate at least one game in the NBA. Cheryl Flores and Dannica Mosher have been promoted to the level of full-time staff officials, the NBA said Thursday. Women's College Basketball. Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the, The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star Republication or distribution of this content is All that self-affirmation has finally come full circle. The entry-level referees are paid around $600 per match. Browse 1,151 wnba referees stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Several of the full-timers are close friends off the court. But again, thats counting. Those inside the program aren't the only ones seeing this progress anymore, either. any players who have declared for the 2022 WNBA draftincluding seniors, . Listed is the 2021 WNBA roster of officials, along with their number. The WNBA Playoffs 2021 presented by Google will tip off on Thursday, Sept. 23 with two first-round single-elimination games on ESPN2. She told The Daily Telegraph she almost quit officiating due to A-holes in the crowd yelling derogatory things to her. "Being able to see myself in them -- they trailblazed that.". ET each game day. October 13, 2022 9:36 AM. She served as a WNBA referee in 2018. I wanted to do as many games as I could to prepare me to work in the NBA. All Today, she is best known for the memes that surfaced after an encounter she had with Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic. Once an individual reaches senior level, they make an average of $500,000 per year. Scott has spent much of her first year in the league building rapport with the players and teams. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. "[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. Danielle Scott decided to join the family business. 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. "She did it way before all of us, before the world we live in now that's all accepting," Moyer-Gleich said of Kantner. 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. "This isn't, 'Let's go out and do social work,'" Monty McCutchen, NBA's vice president of referee development and training, said. None of it deterred her -- in fact, quite the opposite. 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. Who is the player of the year in every women's college basketball conference? Durant, a four-time scoring champion, now sets his sights on Hakeem Olajuwon in 12th place. And 25 of the 63 referees in the G-League are women. These goals are attainable now in ways they just couldn't have been even a generation prior. 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. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. 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.. And 25 of the 63 referees in the G-League are women. Its not based on your gender, race or ethnicity.. 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 first category of referees we're going to be looking at is WNBA referees. No portion of NBA.com may be duplicated, redistributed or manipulated in any form. "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.". When Holtkamp-Sterling returned to officiating after giving birth in 2019, the league had arranged specific accommodations for her as its first-ever mother to officiate a game. Seven women have worked as full-time NBA referees. 2020 WNBA Inside the Rulebook: Block, Charge. Referee, the world's original sports officiating magazine, educates, challenges and inspires officials at all levels. And despite having to transcend this gendered space, the officials recognize that the job of refereeing is not actually gendered work. A multi-dimensional, hard-working woman, Jelks played collegiate basketball at USC and is a certified foreign language K-12 educator. NCAA gymnastics 2023: Who has surprised this season? Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. She's taken it to a new level. 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. Female referees make a maximum single-game pay of $5,000 if they work the Super Bowl. Referees in the National Basketball Association (NBA) oversee 120 pre-season games, 1,260 regular season games, and four rounds of playoff matches.These officials "oversee competition in real-time between 10 exceptional athletes, making calls with 95% accuracy.". Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. RotoWire names five under-the-radar players who could add value to your rosters as we approach fantasy playoffs. "Because I answered those questions early in the process for myself, it helped me create a career that is sustaining and meaningful.". 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 . That only works if there are sufficient aspirants to form a true competitive pool of candidates. SHARE. 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. 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). The NFL pays referees an average of $205,000 per annum. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 3 Nick Buchert, Smithfield, Ky., 10. Maj Forsberg, who came from Denmark and played for the Rainbow Wahine from 1996-2000, sat behind . By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of all the cookies. During one year of Schroeders journey, she worked seven days a week for six months straight. Flores and Mosher earned promotions from the G League level, as did another pair of new hires Matt Kallio, who becomes the NBAs first international full-time official, and Robert Hussey. Moyer-Gleich recounts similar experiences. I grew up watching her.". Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. 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. February 4, 2021. With more female referees officiating games, fans have begun to wonder if there's a pay gap between female referees and male referees. He was promoted to referee in 2006 and has overseen gameday officiating crews since. In 2014, Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling became the first woman hired as a full-time NBA official in nearly two decades. 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. Be the first one to comment on this story. Sago, 31, and Schroeder, 35, were two of the three people on the officiating crew . 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. View. The NBA feels very strongly that this should be a meritocracy. 2020. Officiating is ostensibly the main subject, and certainly a common thread. But now, in 2021-22, the NBA has six female referees on its full-time officiating staff, the most ever. I had absolutely no idea you could be a referee and make a living out of it. It hits harder now after years of reflection. 2021 Women's National Basketball Association. Today, there are five full-time women referees in the NBA -- the most in the . And Silver . The NBA's roster of female referees continues to grow. All rights reserved. 2023 Getty Images. First-year NBA official Danielle Scott views her rookie season the same as any player entering the league would: an adjustment. 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. During the 2021-22 NFL season, the . Consider a theme like locker rooms. "I'm not sure how it was that it remained so male-dominated for so long," said Silver last month. She competed in the Sweet 16 of the of the 2010 Division II NCAA Tournament. With the average salary for a player in the WNBA being just $102,751, the fact that first-year referees are making so much is pretty surprising. "I always had that mentor, a role model on how to be successful in a male-dominated field," Schroeder said. 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. Our paths are all different but we all got to the same end goal.. 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. Were capable and not just capable but like beyond excellent and can do the job just as well as our male counterparts.. The NBA now has the most . 7:30 PM ET We won't send you spam. "And it's even better when the things they see are possible look like them.". Because I've seen it done before.". rights reserved. Her currency? The article is made available for educational use by individuals. Now check your email to confirm your subscription to the Referee.com Review. Now were bearing the fruit of this.. No. The second category of referees are the Entry-level NBA referees. The initiative is one that comes straight from the top of the NBA hierarchy. Her love for simply being on the basketball court fused with her desire to prove those naysayers wrong. "Like Vice President Harris, she worked her way to the . WNBA. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Referee Position. Female NBA Referees Are Becoming a Normal Part of the Game. Although she considers herself a basketball junkie, the former collegiate softball player is also a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan and follows the sport closely. I would love for you guys to be a part of it.' This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. The first female NBA referees. Tramel: Referee Amy Bonner earns ultimate compliment in historic debut season in Big 12. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. Cheryl Flores and Dannica Mosher have been promoted to the level of full-time staff officials, the NBA said Thursday. Women's Euros. These women, who collectively had precious few female sports icons as children, now recognize their own role in inspiring a future generation. Lifelong bonds have been formed within this group. Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling remembers feeling vulnerable, but not intimidated. Moyer-Gleich officiated three seasons in the NBA G League, including the 2018 playoffs. 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. "There's no reason why we shouldn't have more women as officials, coaches and basketball executives in our league," Silver said. Earn a high school diploma. Natalie Sago says her time officiating games in the WNBA prepared her for an NBA officiating job. To order Probably. After all, she could have stayed in women's basketball, where she was one of the top officials in the college world. Add four from the list of nine part-timers and the share of female refs bumps to 12%. Compared to other sports, referee's earnings in the NBA and WNBA are among the best. "Here we are in a very male-dominated space, and the league was very proactive to make sure I had what I needed.". Your login session has expired. I think when I got hired, that had its own sort of significance and same for all the women after me. By TIM REYNOLDS October 18, 2021. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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.. Rather, they've tried to go further. Each game crew consists of three on-court officials and one on-site alternate. The 15 referees assigned to the 2021 WNBA Playoffs are below: Copyright 2023 NBA Media Ventures, LLC. 2019 WNBA Inside the Rulebook: Continuation 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.

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