It's not a big deal anymore," she remembers thinking. 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. Then, five years later, there was one: Palmer. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. 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.. 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. Kantner's NBA career was the shorter of the two, spanning until 2002 when she was released by the league. The second category of referees are the Entry-level NBA referees. She served as a WNBA referee in 2018. Female NBA Referees Are Becoming a Normal Part of the Game. 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. . Although there's no word on what their yearly raise looks like, after three to five years of working as an entry-level referee, officials are eligible to be promoted to the next level. any players who have declared for the 2022 WNBA draftincluding seniors, . Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. 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 . Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. $425. "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. Senior-level referees are the best of the best. All we have to do is find the best referees and open our eyes to half of the population.. 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. ET. "She did it way before all of us, before the world we live in now that's all accepting," Moyer-Gleich said of Kantner. WNBA 2020: Points of Education (Part 1) Once an individual reaches senior level, they make an average of $500,000 per year. With more female referees officiating games, fans have begun to wonder if there's a pay gap between female referees and male referees. Consider a theme like locker rooms. She becomes the sixth woman on the current staff, joining Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling, Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Simone . $18K. 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. The first female NBA referees Chuck Solomon/Getty Images. SHARE. The NBA's roster of female referees continues to grow. We won't send you spam. Who will win nationals? The Orlando forward played only 11 games this season after missing two years with a torn ACL. It does not store any personal data. Fifteen of the largest college conferences paid their male referees on average 22% more than female referees in . 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. Players, Teams, Seasons, Leaders , . 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. It was early in Holtkamp-Sterling's young basketball officiating career, years before she'd ascend to the NBA level. But again, thats counting. Furthermore, a lot of WNBA referees spend their off-season refereeing Division I women's (and men's) college basketball games. She was the first female referee in German professional football. Referee Position. "Like Vice President Harris, she worked her way to the . Her love for simply being on the basketball court fused with her desire to prove those naysayers wrong. All Facebook. In 1997, Violet Palmer and Dee Kantner became the first women . Adding women to the refereeing positions has been a priority for McCutchen and other NBA executives, including Commissioner Adam Silver. She also enjoys Bikram yoga and swimming. 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. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 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. The most recent estimations put NBA referees annual salaries between $180,000 and $550,000. Palmer's focus was internal. Ex-Rainbow Wahine Maj Forsberg makes mark in WNBA landscape as league's only female crew chief. "Her advice is always authentic.". Looking for a way to soothe anxious nerves, she called Kantner before her first WNBA game, then again before her first NBA preseason game. Playoff officials are selected by the WNBA Referee Operations management team based on three specific criteria throughout the season: WNBA Referee Operations graded rankings, play-calling accuracy and team feedback. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Kallio a native of Edmonton, Alberta has seven years of G League experience, five years of WNBA experience and worked the Tokyo Olympics. 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. Danielle Scott and Angelica Suffren officiated an NBA Summer League game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat on Tuesday evening. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. She etched her name into the history books as the first mother to officiate a league game. "It's needed for women in this industry that already have a lot of things going against them. She joined the pros as a full-time ref in 2018 and had a side career as a bartender while climbing her way up the ranks. may be duplicated, redistributed or manipulated in any form. 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.. Its not uncommon, to be honest with you, Schroeder said with a laugh. The Australian was the first female to officiate the A-League series in 2015. According to a warrant for Morrow's arrest, he's facing charges of assault by strangulation, second-degree kidnapping and communicating threats. Two black women did something this week that no other women have done before: They refereed a professional basketball game together. "She taught me how to carry myself, how to be comfortable being the only woman in the room all the time. Meet Lauren Holtkamp, Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Natalie Sago, and now Jenna Schroeder. RotoWire considers the best player values in Yahoo fantasy leagues for Friday's 10-game slate. 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). Republication or distribution of this content is 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. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. Currently, there are six female referees who work NBA games, up from one, Lauren Holtkamp, seven years ago. 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. There's no jealousy here, no bitterness over an "easier" path faced by today's young women. 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. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Legitimate acceptance has come in waves. However, her journey was slightly different from some of her female counterparts. Mosher has . Referee assignments are posted at approximately 9:00am ET each game day. 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. Katie Patterson. Lifelong bonds have been formed within this group. 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. None attempt to discount their own burdens that they overcame. Sago says she will always praise the WNBA for helping prepare her for the NBA. "Because I answered those questions early in the process for myself, it helped me create a career that is sustaining and meaningful.". No portion of NBA.com Entry-level NBA referees earn $250,000 per year as "rookies." Who was the highest paid female NFL referee during the 2021-22 season? 2021 Women's National Basketball Association. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Durant, a four-time scoring champion, now sets his sights on Hakeem Olajuwon in 12th place. These were different times. Now, there are five different women officiating games on a nightly basis. The first time Jenna Schroeder was booed by 40,000 NBA fans as she exited the court, she knew she had finally made it. They allow the league's scouts to evaluate larger swaths of the population and identify greater cumulative talent. Listed is the 2021 WNBA roster of officials, along with their number. Female referees make a maximum single-game pay of $5,000 if they work the Super Bowl. All rights reserved. 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. "We are a very empowered group of women," Jelks said. San Diego State. "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. Boger, 67, joined the NFL in 2004 as a line judge. 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. It stuck for good, always as a term of endearment. WNBA 2019: Points of Education (Part 1) Whether they are sharing experiences from their rookie seasons or answering any of her questions, she finds comfort knowing she can trust her peers in any situation. Marc J. Spears, a senior writer for ESPN . Cheryl Flores and Dannica Mosher have been promoted to the level of full-time staff officials, the NBA said Thursday. As far as WNBA referees, they make considerably less. Mosher has . And to this day, I dont think people know that thats actually a thing.. 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. You can talk about the girl in the fifth row with the big ta-tas! The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". 4091. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of all the cookies. Off the court, Moyer-Gleich likes to spend time outdoors with her family, plan events and take photographs. 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. RotoWire names five under-the-radar players who could add value to your rosters as we approach fantasy playoffs. 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. These goals are attainable now in ways they just couldn't have been even a generation prior. Women's Champ Week predictions: Which teams will win the auto bids in all 32 conferences? 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. She dedicated herself completely to the game, but also to earning respect just like anyone else. 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 . Certainly not. 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. Were looking for the best referees, McCutchen said. WNBA 2019: Points of Education (Part 2) UFC 285's Shevchenko by the numbers: It all adds up to domination, Infighting of Women's World Cup faves Spain, France, Canada reveals big issues in the sport. When we see one referee get some type of accolade, we highlight it on our pages on social media. No portion of NBA.com may be duplicated, redistributed or manipulated in any form. In the beginning, back in 1997, there were two: Violet Palmer and Dee Kantner. None of it bothered me. View. 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. 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. 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.. However, her journey was slightly different from some of her female counterparts. I had absolutely no idea you could be a referee and make a living out of it. Referee - August 12, 2021. G League referee ShaRae Mitchell becomes the 15th woman in NBA history picked to work a regular-season game. Natalie Sago says her time officiating games in the WNBA prepared her for an NBA officiating job. 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. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. The NBA now has the most . Compared to other sports, referee's earnings in the NBA and WNBA are among the best. Were capable and not just capable but like beyond excellent and can do the job just as well as our male counterparts.. According to Career Trend, those who officiate WNBA games earn a salary of $180,000 per year to start. According to Career Trend, WNBA referees earn a base salary of $180,000 per year. "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.'". First, the sixth-seeded Chicago Sky hosts the seventh-seeded Dallas Wings at 8 p.m. To order copies of 2019 WNBA Inside the Rulebook: Continuation 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 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). And as the first to reach this plateau since, she's turned around and served a similarly important role for those following her. As a proud Black and LGBTQ woman, Palmer especially was a barrier-breaker in more ways than one. To order Not Available. During one year of Schroeders journey, she worked seven days a week for six months straight. 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. 3 Nick Buchert, Smithfield, Ky., 10. She's taken it to a new level. After all, she could have stayed in women's basketball, where she was one of the top officials in the college world. 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. ESPN was unable to obtain comment from Kantner, 60, for this story. 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. But now, in 2021-22, the NBA has six female referees on its full-time officiating staff, the most ever. Jelks views Palmer as a key mentor in multiple ways. Touchy, touchy. . 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. As it turns out, there are three categories that NBA referees fall into. ET each game day. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Maj Forsberg, who came from Denmark and played for the Rainbow Wahine from 1996-2000, sat behind . During the 2021-22 NFL season, the . First-year NBA official Danielle Scott views her rookie season the same as any player entering the league would: an adjustment. 2 min read. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 12 12. There's simply a desire to make this world, and others like it, more accessible. Moyer-Gleich recounts similar experiences. Referee Michael Oliver, however, waved play on and the VAR, Darren England, saw no reason to ask him to look again at his decision. Before becoming an NBA referee, Holtkamp played college basketball at Southwest Missouri State. They get only $180,000 a year or $425 per match. Six women referees took part in the . 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. 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. No. :-). (Prior to entering the league, Palmer worked as a referee in NCAA Division I women's basketball.) February 4, 2021. Today, Palmer counts men she worked with among her best friends. He was promoted to referee in 2006 and has overseen gameday officiating crews since. After a successful college career, she began working her way up as an official. "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.". Holtkamp-Sterling has become a big sister figure to the other women in the program. 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. The women that are coming on the scene now are helping us -- we're not helping them.". Young women shouldn't have to look at officiating, or so many other traditionally male-dominated professions, as rarified air for only the chosen few. 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. In 2003, she was the main referee for the 2002-03 Women's DFB-Pokal final between 1. While Palmer and Kantner are no longer working for the NBA, their legacies live on. 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. 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. 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 . 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. . Because I've seen it done before.". | Subscribe to access all D1 ref data. Michaela Gilmer is an Interactive Producer for NBA.com. 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 think when I got hired, that had its own sort of significance and same for all the women after me. Capable of handling some plays in secondary area of coverage. Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. Browse 1,151 wnba referees stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. And if it were male officials, you wouldnt call them sensitive.. Kicking off the list is Lauren Holtkamp. And 25 of the 63 referees in the G-League are women. Skype chats gave way to lengthy group texts, including several that persist to this day. Other projections put the base salary for new referees somewhere around $250,000. Conley was in the G League for seven seasons, Schwab for five and, like Scott, they also worked WNBA games this season. According to Career Trend, those who officiate WNBA games earn a salary of $180,000 per year to start. It's needed that we strengthen each other emotionally, and just have that good support team.". 0. Entry-level referees are on the lower end of that scale and receive larger paydays the longer they are in the league. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. "She'll always say, if I did it, you can do it. Those inside the program aren't the only ones seeing this progress anymore, either. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. Since Holtkamp-Sterling, four more women have been hired as full-time NBA referees. Ashley Moyer-Gleich (gleash) has officiated 110 regular-season games in four seasons as an NBA staff official. The NBA has always been a league that prides itself on giving equal opportunity to everyone. 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. But no one, not by a long shot, thinks the work is done. You really dont know until you sit down and read a rule book, says Moyer-Gleich. The entry-level referees are paid around $600 per match. Even while on maternity leave, shes locked into games every single night, which now she gets to do with her son by her side. The NBA's roster of female referees continues to grow. From pace of play to call selectivity, Scotts transition from the G League, to the WNBA and now to the NBA has been a whirlwind but shes enjoying the learning process. Flores has spent nine seasons in the G League and 10 in the WNBA, and is also an accomplished women's college referee with . 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. She is the leagues longest-tenured woman official. Scott has spent much of her first year in the league building rapport with the players and teams. Subscribe to get the Referee.com Review every week plus periodic free training and special offers on the sports you officiate. "Being able to see myself in them -- they trailblazed that.". Rather, Hopkins said afterward that in general the Liberty got the short end of the stick, both in this game and all season long. 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. 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. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. 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. And not everyone was comfortable. In the WNBA, an entry-level referee makes an average of $16,000 a year, or $425 per game . 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 . Cheryl Flores and Dannica Mosher have been promoted to the level of full-time staff officials, the NBA said Thursday. He . In the second game, the fifth-seeded Phoenix Mercury faces the eighth-seeded New York Liberty at 10 p.m. Its not based on your gender, race or ethnicity.. But neither supply nor demand were what they are now. Scott, the daughter of college basketball officials, was promoted Monday to the full-time NBA staff referee roster. Jelks becomes the seventh female full-time ref in NBA history, with the current five preceded by Dee Kantner and Violet Palmer. Moyer-Gleich officiated three seasons in the NBA G League, including the 2018 playoffs. "I said to the guys: 'You can curse! The first category of referees we're going to be looking at is WNBA referees. Any player or coach would be ill-advised to go there. 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.". The salary slab of referees is decided as per their experience. Please try again. -. They make up 8% of the 75-member officiating staff. NCAA gymnastics 2023: Who has surprised this season? After playing college basketball in Millersville, Pennsylvania, Ashley Moyer decided to pursue a career in officiating. And as McCutchen points out, 42% of G League referees are women. Active referees are listed in bold. Five full-time women in officiating today eclipses the total of the NFL, MLB and NHL combined. #24 Scott, #77 Lane, #17 Sterling The ability to advance in this career is evident. Referee Kevin Fahy on Sunday ejected Astou Ndour of the WNBA 's Chicago Sky after she appeared to accidentally make contact with his stomach as he walked into her. 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. I think that the NBA is very visual and theyve done a great job of showing that. 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 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. 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). Not that anyone is counting or, at least, needs to be. 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. While that was the most overtly negative experience Holtkamp-Sterling recalls from her career, it wasn't the only one. (See the clip below.) Success! Of course," Palmer, who retired from the NBA in 2016, said. NBA officials Simone Jelks (left) and Ashley Moyer-Gleich working a game together in Chicago. Last up on the list is Jenna Schroeder. 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. By. This season has seen a record 7 female referees officiate at least one game in the NBA.