Holtkamp-Sterling, now 40, had just finished officiating a youth boy's game as the solo referee. . 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. . Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Cheryl Flores and Dannica Mosher have been promoted to the level of full-time staff officials, the NBA said Thursday. The first category of referees we're going to be looking at is WNBA referees. You can e-mail himhere, findhis archive hereandfollow him on Twitter. 2023 Getty Images. 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. During the 2021-22 NFL season, the . She worked the 2013 and 2014 NBA G League Finals and the 2014 WNBA Conference Finals. 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. I think that the NBA is very visual and theyve done a great job of showing that. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". "We are a very empowered group of women," Jelks said. Natalie Sago says her time officiating games in the WNBA prepared her for an NBA officiating job. Several of the full-timers are close friends off the court. Palmer and Kantner were so much more than just trailblazers; the weight they shouldered eased the burden for all who came after. Female referees make a maximum single-game pay of $5,000 if they work the Super Bowl. Holtkamp, Moyer-Gleich, and Sago were the only three female referees that were active in the NBA for the 2018 season. @BrooklynNets at @celtics "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.". She becomes the sixth woman on the current staff, joining Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling, Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Simone . However, her journey was slightly different from some of her female counterparts. As a proud Black and LGBTQ woman, Palmer especially was a barrier-breaker in more ways than one. Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling is the NBAs longest-tenured female official. 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. "They say I'm the sixth female referee in the NBA," said Schroeder, the sixth woman officially hired as a full-time NBA referee. 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. Then, five years later, there was one: Palmer. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. But Palmer and Kantner's influence on today's generation is immense and undeniable. But when she made the transition from basketball player to basketball referee, her perspective on those tough moments shifted dramatically. Probably. Floyd Mayweather interested in buying NBA team, Blake Griffin trolled by YouTuber courtside. By. Other projections put the base salary for new referees somewhere around $250,000. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. 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. After finishing up her studies in physical education at the University of Missouri-St. Lois decided to make her way into a career of reffing basketball. I'm good, I'll tell you whether or not she's cute!' NEW YORK - NBA G League referees Cheryl Flores, Robert Hussey, Matt Kallio and Dannica Mosher have been promoted to full-time NBA staff officials for the 2022-23 season . Please logout and login again. I thought that was awesome. Those whispers Holtkamp-Sterling would hear as she entered the league years later? 3 Nick Buchert, Smithfield, Ky., 10. 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. She also has five years of high school officiating experience in her home state. $18K. 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. Referee assignments are posted at approximately 9:00am ET each game day. Two black women did something this week that no other women have done before: They refereed a professional basketball game together. Officials will be evaluated after each round of the playoffs to determine future advancement in the 2021 postseason. 7:30 PM ET In the second game, the fifth-seeded Phoenix Mercury faces the eighth-seeded New York Liberty at 10 p.m. 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 other five Sage, Schroeder, Simone Jelks, Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling and Ashley Moyer-Gleich are active in the league today and among . They're just talking about something they're uncomfortable with.". She also enjoys Bikram yoga and swimming. I had absolutely no idea you could be a referee and make a living out of it. They make up 8% of the 75-member officiating staff. Active referees are listed in bold. I grew up watching her.". 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.. Seven women have worked as full-time NBA referees. Jul 6, 2018, 01:32 PM EDT. Shop NEW Women Hooping summer apparel: http://www.womenhooping.com/Support the channel through PAYPAL: paypal.me/womenhoopingORPlay as WNBA players/teams in . 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. Career Explorer Guide also estimated . We are excited for them to have reached this milestone in their careers.. These women, who collectively had precious few female sports icons as children, now recognize their own role in inspiring a future generation. First, the sixth-seeded Chicago Sky hosts the seventh-seeded Dallas Wings at 8 p.m. 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 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. Furthermore, a lot of WNBA referees spend their off-season refereeing Division I women's (and men's) college basketball games. 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. any players who have declared for the 2022 WNBA draftincluding seniors, . According to Career Trend, those who officiate WNBA games earn a salary of $180,000 per year to start. 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. NBA officials Simone Jelks (left) and Ashley Moyer-Gleich working a game together in Chicago. All Rights Reserved. In the beginning, back in 1997, there were two: Violet Palmer and Dee Kantner. Palmer recalls all the media hubbub that surrounded her and Kantner when they entered the league; when Holtkamp-Sterling did the same 17 years later, there was hardly so much as a press release -- something Palmer delighted in seeing. Mosher has . After playing college basketball in Millersville, Pennsylvania, Ashley Moyer decided to pursue a career in officiating. Depending on experience and how far into the playoffs they're working, officials can reportedly receive a per game bonus of anywhere between $800 to $5,000. Strides are being made, even if we're still talking about small percentages of the overall population and more work is clearly needed. 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. 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. R denotes rookie. 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. "Those girls get to see me on this platform, working with men in a male-dominated field.". 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. When we see three females working the G League together, we're empowered, we're inspired. 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. Flores has spent nine seasons in the G League and 10 in the WNBA, and is also an accomplished women's college referee with . In its . "Kids have to see that things are possible," Jelks said. Tramel: Referee Amy Bonner earns ultimate compliment in historic debut season in Big 12. "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. Once an individual reaches senior level, they make an average of $500,000 per year. permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. He . 12 12. Mosher has . (Suggested reading: Blake Griffin trolled by YouTuber courtside), Be the first one to comment on this story. Your login session has expired. 2020 WNBA Inside the Rulebook: Block, Charge. Taking a look at the numbers behind Nikola Jokic's historic season for the Nuggets. 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. Now check your email to confirm your subscription to the Referee.com Review. In 2003, she was the main referee for the 2002-03 Women's DFB-Pokal final between 1. 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 . In the 1990s, only two female referees managed to work their way to the top. She dedicated herself completely to the game, but also to earning respect just like anyone else. Referee, the worlds original sports officiating magazine, educates, challenges and inspires officials at all levels. Looking for a way to soothe anxious nerves, she called Kantner before her first WNBA game, then again before her first NBA preseason game. Erica Ayala. 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. 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. Thirteen of the 31 referees in the WNBA are women. 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. ET. Long before she was hired in the NBA, the Flint, Mich., native didnt know that refereeing could be a full-time job. 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 . Skype chats gave way to lengthy group texts, including several that persist to this day. Select referees by season: . Weve all been rookies, whether youre a coach, a player or a referee. 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). Consider a theme like locker rooms. I was totally fan-girling. I havent worked as hard in my life ever at a job, then Ive worked in the NBA as a referee., Working her first NBA game in 2019, Jelks remembers an unprompted conversation with a player who approached her at center court, shook her hand and said Welcome to the League. 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. All that self-affirmation has finally come full circle. WNBA 2020: Points of Education (Part 1) Our paths are all different but we all got to the same end goal.. Boger is the only referee to retire this offseason. The NBA's roster of female referees continues to grow. After all, she could have stayed in women's basketball, where she was one of the top officials in the college world. Cheryl Flores and Dannica Mosher have been promoted to the level of full-time staff officials, the NBA said Thursday. Holtkamp officiated in numerous collegiate conferences, including the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Big East and Colonial Athletic. So my predecessors recognized this and put those seeds into the G League. Scott has spent much of her first year in the league building rapport with the players and teams. MLB umpires rake in an impressive $300,000 annually, and the referees in the NHL receives around $275,000 . 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. The NBA's roster of female referees continues to grow. Professional basketball has broken world barriers by having star players from countless different countries and broken the gender barrier as well. Listed is the 2021 WNBA roster of officials, along with their number. No. The approval of her peers in the officiating world. Add four from the list of nine part-timers and the share of female refs bumps to 12%. Moyer-Gleich recounts similar experiences. 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 colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about 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. In this particular business, thats one of the loftiest goals of diversity: Sameness. Today, there are a total of five full-time women NBA referees, an all-time league high. 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. | Subscribe to access all D1 ref data. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. 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. 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. It does take time to develop officials, McCutchen said. Now were bearing the fruit of this.. 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. But neither supply nor demand were what they are now. WNBA 2021: Points of Education (Part 3), 2020 WNBA Inside the Rulebook: Block, Charge She struggled at times with the constant demands from those she encountered, both stated and implied, to justify herself or explain her pursuit of success in a heavily male-dominated field. She was blown away recently when a friend referred to her as the "Jackie Robinson of officiating." The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". While that was the most overtly negative experience Holtkamp-Sterling recalls from her career, it wasn't the only one. 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. I would love for you guys to be a part of it.' . Collect, curate and comment on your files. 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. The most recent estimations put NBA referees annual salaries between $180,000 and $550,000. "It's almost normal now. And to this day, I dont think people know that thats actually a thing.. "Like Vice President Harris, she worked her way to the . They all worked between 20 and 26 games as non-staff referees last season. I wanted to do as many games as I could to prepare me to work in the NBA. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. 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. SHARE. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. (See the clip below.) Women's Euros. 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. 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. WNBA 2020: Points of Education (Part 1) 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. Her currency? Who will win nationals? "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 NBA's roster of female referees continues to grow. They were audible conversations for Palmer and Kantner, and sometimes more. From coaches to players, we have it all. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. THE FIRST NBA INDIAN ORIGIN REFEREES JOURNEY FROM PRE-MED TO PRE-REF, NBRA ANNOUNCES RATIFICATION OF AGREEMENT FOR G LEAGUE START OF SEASON, While Turners arms are vertical, he is jumping A to B into the path of Brown. Everything we send is officiating specific because that's all we do. 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. 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.. NBA adds 4 new full-time referees, including 2 female NBA referees . 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. 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). Conley was in the G League for seven seasons, Schwab for five and, like Scott, they also worked WNBA games this season. Players, Teams, Seasons, Leaders , . . These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. But no one, not by a long shot, thinks the work is done. The initiative is one that comes straight from the top of the NBA hierarchy. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. @ESPNNBA There's simply a desire to make this world, and others like it, more accessible. 4 Sean Wright, Even while on maternity leave, shes locked into games every single night, which now she gets to do with her son by her side. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. No portion of NBA.com It'll just be the norm.". 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. The salary slab of referees is decided as per their experience. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. "She taught me how to carry myself, how to be comfortable being the only woman in the room all the time. In 2014, Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling became the first woman hired as a full-time NBA official in nearly two decades. Five women officials is a step up from one or two, but still represents a minuscule percentage of the league's 65 total referees. The NBA now has the most . As it turns out, there are three categories that NBA referees fall into. Holtkamp-Sterling finds comfort in having close working relationships with other NBA officials. Copyright 2023 NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Holtkamp-Sterling has become a big sister figure to the other women in the program. As the buzzer sounded, the father of one of the boys in the game approached and accosted her over her gender. And as McCutchen points out, 42% of G League referees are women. The referees had to be ready and so did the players, coaches and fans. Chicago Sky centre Astou Ndour was walking down the court in . This season has seen a record 7 female referees officiate at least one game in the NBA. Those changes include separate dedicated locker rooms for women officials. 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.. February 4, 2021. The NBA feels very strongly that this should be a meritocracy. Palmer broke barriers in 1997 when she became the first female to referee an NBA game. 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. WNBA 2019: Points of Education (Part 1) Marc J. Spears, a senior writer for ESPN . Danielle Scott (right) talks with officiating partners during a game. Women NBA Referees. Entry-level NBA referees earn $250,000 per year as "rookies." Thirteen of the 31 referees in the WNBA are women. It's needed that we strengthen each other emotionally, and just have that good support team.". "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.'". The Australian was the first female to officiate the A-League series in 2015. Cheryl Flores and Dannica Mosher have been promoted to the level of full-time staff officials, the NBA said Thursday. And Silver . We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. "I always had that mentor, a role model on how to be successful in a male-dominated field," Schroeder said. Its not based on your gender, race or ethnicity.. Touchy, touchy. Oct 15, 2022. None of it bothered me. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto All rights reserved. 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. The NBA's roster of female referees continues to grow. 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 Associated Press released a study Friday regarding the NCAA referee pay gap. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Fast forward to 2022, Sago worked the Suns-Bucks game Sunday in Milwaukee, where Phoenix coach Monty Williams dismissed any notion that female refs might cause a games texture or tone to be different. San Diego State. Her husband, Johnee Gleich, is currently an official in the NCAA. 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. Today, Palmer counts men she worked with among her best friends. 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. Natalie Sago didnt watch much NBA basketball growing up. These officials begin with a salary of $250,000 as first-year referees. We can look at data, say from the 2011-12 season, to get an . It does not store any personal data. "Here we are in a very male-dominated space, and the league was very proactive to make sure I had what I needed.". Sago was a collegiate athlete but played softball instead of basketball. "But did it bother me? In terms of explaining certain officiating calls during live games, Moyer-Gleich uses her past experience as a player to translate and articulate the rule book into basketball jargon that players and coaches will understand. Areas like these come to the forefront as the NBA continues to strive for an earned reputation as a progressive organization. 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.
wnba female referees