"Her advice is always authentic.". Before finally making her way to the league, Schroeder reffed in almost every league imaginable. "But did it bother me? Well-known referees on the high end are individuals like Tony Brothers and of course, Scott Foster who Chris Paul is all too familiar with. 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. By. Kicking off the list is Lauren Holtkamp. Holtkamp-Sterling finds comfort in having close working relationships with other NBA officials. You can talk about the girl in the fifth row with the big ta-tas! 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 . 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 2014, Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling became the first woman hired as a full-time NBA official in nearly two decades. None attempt to discount their own burdens that they overcame. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The 2004 graduate of Brush High School worked 16 regular-season NBA . They congratulated me for getting hired and being in the WNBA, I was like, thats crazy because I was watching you guys when I was 12 years old and now were working together.. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. But neither supply nor demand were what they are now. I would love for you guys to be a part of it.' The salary slab of referees is decided as per their experience. 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. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. I think when I got hired, that had its own sort of significance and same for all the women after me. 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. According to the National Basketball Association (NBA), this is the first time ever that two female referees officiated the same NBA game. 3 Nick Buchert, Smithfield, Ky., 10. #NBA #NBAReferees twitter.com/i/web/status/1. SHARE. The WNBA Playoffs 2021 presented by Google will tip off on Thursday, Sept. 23 with two first-round single-elimination games on ESPN2. Durant, a four-time scoring champion, now sets his sights on Hakeem Olajuwon in 12th place. They all worked between 20 and 26 games as non-staff referees last season. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. 2019 WNBA Inside the Rulebook: Continuation 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. 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. Luka Doncic Arguing With The Female Ref Fouling In Love What? It was early in Holtkamp-Sterling's young basketball officiating career, years before she'd ascend to the NBA level. There aren't many great answers for why 17 years passed between women being hired, for instance, although it's understandable why those at the top of today's league prefer to look forward. Please logout and login again. And as the first to reach this plateau since, she's turned around and served a similarly important role for those following her. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. All Rights Reserved. Meet Lauren Holtkamp, Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Natalie Sago, and now Jenna Schroeder. Still, there's unanimous agreement that without the groundwork laid by the two trendsetters before them, the path would have been rockier. Referee, the worlds original sports officiating magazine, educates, challenges and inspires officials at all levels. "They congratulated me for getting hired and being in the WNBA, I was like, that . In his words, all the league had to do was hire the best people for the job. Holtkamp-Sterling has become a big sister figure to the other women in the program. "She really did an awesome job of reaching out to us and saying, 'Hey, I really want to start this group. He . WNBA 2019: Points of Education (Part 3), 2020 WNBA Inside the Rulebook: Block, Charge, WNBA 2020 Playoffs: Points of Education (Part 1), WNBA 2020 Playoffs: Points of Education (Part 2), 2019 WNBA Inside the Rulebook: Continuation. Thirteen of the 31 referees in the WNBA are women. Its not based on your gender, race or ethnicity.. 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. The referees had to be ready and so did the players, coaches and fans. There was an error submitting your subscription. WNBA 2021: Points of Education (Part 3), 2020 WNBA Inside the Rulebook: Block, Charge I think that the NBA is very visual and theyve done a great job of showing that. However, her journey was slightly different from some of her female counterparts. "Because I answered those questions early in the process for myself, it helped me create a career that is sustaining and meaningful.". Women's Euros. RotoWire names five under-the-radar players who could add value to your rosters as we approach fantasy playoffs. "I see little girls sitting courtside, parents asking me to take a picture with their little daughter," Moyer-Gleich said. However, her journey was slightly different from some of her female counterparts. 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. 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. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. ET. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. When we see one referee get some type of accolade, we highlight it on our pages on social media. The Associated Press released a study Friday regarding the NCAA referee pay gap. 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. 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. 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. 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 . And if it were male officials, you wouldnt call them sensitive.. I thought that was awesome. "I said to the guys: 'You can curse! She would love to see the MLB bring women into the umpire ranks, just as the NBA has demonstrated with its own officials throughout the years. RotoWire considers the best player values in Yahoo fantasy leagues for Friday's 10-game slate. She becomes the sixth woman on the current staff, joining Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling, Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Simone . But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. It'll just be the norm.". Today, there are a total of five full-time women NBA referees, an all-time league high. 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. Seven women have worked as full-time NBA referees. When it comes to mentors within the officiating world, though, it all comes back to the paths forged before them. The initiative is one that comes straight from the top of the NBA hierarchy. 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. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. It hits harder now after years of reflection. There won't be a number anymore. 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. 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 . permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. In addition, referees are paid bonus money for working the playoffs and NBA Finals. Palmer's focus was internal. 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.". Before we do, check out a compilation video of every technical foul handed out last season. Any player or coach would be ill-advised to go there. Before becoming an NBA referee, Holtkamp played college basketball at Southwest Missouri State. @ESPNNBA Professional basketball has broken world barriers by having star players from countless different countries and broken the gender barrier as well. And thats the way our society should be, McCutchen said. And to this day, I dont think people know that thats actually a thing.. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. It put tears in her eyes "that someone would actually put me in that class of people." 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. 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. Women's . WNBA. They make up 8% of the 75-member officiating staff. 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. According to Career Trend, WNBA referees earn a base salary of $180,000 per year. Women's College Basketball. may be duplicated, redistributed or manipulated in any form. "They say I'm the sixth female referee in the NBA," said Schroeder, the sixth woman officially hired as a full-time NBA referee. 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. A WNBA referee has been slammed by fans after ejecting a player after the pair appeared to accidentally bump into each other. I had absolutely no idea you could be a referee and make a living out of it. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". The Australian was the first female to officiate the A-League series in 2015. Captaincy chaos and Waldrum ultimatums - Will Nigeria be ready for World Cup. The NBA now has the most . 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. As a proud Black and LGBTQ woman, Palmer especially was a barrier-breaker in more ways than one. They get only $180,000 a year or $425 per match. So my predecessors recognized this and put those seeds into the G League. Officials will be evaluated after each round of the playoffs to determine future advancement in the 2021 postseason. Camp Hill resident Ashley Moyer-Gleich is in her second month as the fourth-ever female NBA referee. Hussey has worked five G League seasons and two in the WNBA. First, the sixth-seeded Chicago Sky hosts the seventh-seeded Dallas Wings at 8 p.m. McCutchen has long said that the NBA will hire the best people to fill the job, regardless of gender. copyright 2023 National Basketball Referees Association. -. 12 12. (Suggested reading: Blake Griffin trolled by YouTuber courtside), Be the first one to comment on this story. We are excited for them to have reached this milestone in their careers.. Touchy, touchy. 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. . 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. She etched her name into the history books as the first mother to officiate a league game. She also enjoys Bikram yoga and swimming. And Silver . Long before she was hired in the NBA, the Flint, Mich., native didnt know that refereeing could be a full-time job. These goals are attainable now in ways they just couldn't have been even a generation prior. Your login session has expired. The NBA has made significant alterations since Palmer and Kantner's day, where the league would have to improvise a makeshift women's locker room in arenas that weren't prepared for them. 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.