They all worked between 20 and 26 games as non-staff referees last season. 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 . @BrooklynNets at @celtics 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. Add four from the list of nine part-timers and the share of female refs bumps to 12%. The NBA wants female head coaches. But how feasible is that goal? These goals are attainable now in ways they just couldn't have been even a generation prior. 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. "Did I hear it? In the WNBA, an entry-level referee makes an average of $16,000 a year, or $425 per game . A multi-dimensional, hard-working woman, Jelks played collegiate basketball at USC and is a certified foreign language K-12 educator. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. Rules, interpretations, mechanics, philosophies and other information may or may not be correct for the current year. Before joining the big-league ranks, Natalie Sago was a ref for the G-League and WNBA. It hits harder now after years of reflection. Referee assignments are posted at approximately 9:00am ET each game day. may be duplicated, redistributed or manipulated in any form. The WNBA Playoffs 2021 presented by Google will tip off on Thursday, Sept. 23 with two first-round single-elimination games on ESPN2. And not everyone was comfortable. Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling is the NBAs longest-tenured female official. NBA officials Simone Jelks (left) and Ashley Moyer-Gleich working a game together in Chicago. McCutchen has long said that the NBA will hire the best people to fill the job, regardless of gender. 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. Furthermore, a lot of WNBA referees spend their off-season refereeing Division I women's (and men's) college basketball games. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. WNBA referee's 'huge overreaction' after ejecting Astou Ndour 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. Moyer-Gleich recounts similar experiences. And 25 of the 63 referees in the G-League are women. "[He] confronted me and told me I didn't belong there, working that game," Holtkamp-Sterling recounted years later. 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. Listed is the 2021 WNBA roster of officials, along with their number. Not only that, but the grind to becoming a professional referee requires true dedication. NBA adds 4 new full-time referees, including 2 more women As the buzzer sounded, the father of one of the boys in the game approached and accosted her over her gender. Cheryl Flores and Dannica Mosher have been promoted to the level of full-time staff officials, the NBA said Thursday. I would love for you guys to be a part of it.' Long before she was hired in the NBA, the Flint, Mich., native didnt know that refereeing could be a full-time job. She worked the 2013 and 2014 NBA G League Finals and the 2014 WNBA Conference Finals. SHARE. It's not a big deal anymore," she remembers thinking. 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. 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. In his words, all the league had to do was hire the best people for the job. The NBA now has eight . To order The former Cedar Crest and Millersville guard wasn't planning to be a ref at all but a college . There won't be a number anymore. Touchy, touchy. There was an error submitting your subscription. It does not store any personal data. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. 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. I was totally fan-girling. NBA promotes 6th full-time female official for 2021-22 season WNBA 2019: Points of Education (Part 1) Flores has spent nine seasons in the G League and 10 in the WNBA, and is also an accomplished women's college referee with two Final Fours on her resume. FULL WNBA BASKETBALL GAME: Los Angeles Sparks at Minnesota Lynx - YouTube WNBA announces officials for WNBA Playoffs 2021 presented by Google She becomes the sixth woman on the current staff, joining Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling, Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Simone . Everything we send is officiating specific because that's all we do. The ability to advance in this career is evident. R denotes rookie. WNBA. No portion of NBA.com . "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. Lifelong bonds have been formed within this group. 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 rattles off names: Steve Javie, Jack Nies, Billy Oakes, Joey Crawford. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. Oct 15, 2022. Today, there are a total of five full-time women NBA referees, an all-time league high. 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. Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. 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. 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 . 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. Earn a high school diploma. Five full-time women in officiating today eclipses the total of the NFL, MLB and NHL combined. Meet the female NBA referees who got their start as NCAA DII student Referee Position. Tickets for the WNBA's first-ever preseason matchup in Canada featuring the Chicago Sky and the Minnesota Lynx go on sale Wednesday, March 8, on International Women's Day. During one year of Schroeders journey, she worked seven days a week for six months straight. "I said to the guys: 'You can curse! presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution Republication or distribution of this content is We [officials] are human, too. Holtkamp-Sterling finds comfort in having close working relationships with other NBA officials. 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. Thirteen of the 31 referees in the WNBA are women. 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. Penn Manor girls wrestler Trinity Mowery also standing her ground as Her husband, Johnee Gleich, is currently an official in the NCAA. "It's almost normal now. WNBA referees: Can we crunch some numbers? - Swish Appeal Chicago Sky centre Astou Ndour was walking down the court in . Holtkamp-Sterling, now 40, had just finished officiating a youth boy's game as the solo referee. To its credit, the NBA hasn't been satisfied at simply hitting numerical targets for the sake of appearance -- although no one's saying it's been perfect, either. "Kids have to see that things are possible," Jelks said. She served as a WNBA referee in 2018. 6 NBA officials proving refereeing is not a gendered job Top 5 most prominent female referees in the NBA 2019 WNBA Inside the Rulebook: Continuation Bonner already had started working NCAA Division I women's . 4 Sean Wright, Fahy walked into Ndour during the second quarter while looking in the opposite direction . We can look at data, say from the 2011-12 season, to get an . Ten women have held that job in league history, with the current eight joining Violet Palmer and Dee Kantner on that list. The entry-level referees are paid around $600 per match. Five women officials is a step up from one or two, but still represents a minuscule percentage of the league's 65 total referees. Referee data is available for the 1988-89 through 2022-23 seasons. You can talk about the girl in the fifth row with the big ta-tas! The salary slab of referees is decided as per their experience. Cheryl Flores and Dannica Mosher have been promoted to the level of full-time staff officials, the NBA said Thursday. 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. 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. Below is the 2020-21 NBA roster of officials with each official's uniform number, name, years in the league through last season and hometown. According to Career Trend, WNBA referees earn a base salary of $180,000 per year. Danielle Scott decided to join the family business. With the . 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 . Your login session has expired. She's taken it to a new level. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Entry-level NBA referees earn $250,000 per year as "rookies." Listed is the 2021 WNBA roster of officials, along with their number. Today, she is best known for the memes that surfaced after an encounter she had with Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic. Players, Teams, Seasons, Leaders , . Women's Euros. Not that anyone is counting or, at least, needs to be. Not Available. Who is the player of the year in every women's college basketball conference? The other five Sage, Schroeder, Simone Jelks, Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling and Ashley Moyer-Gleich are active in the league today and among . We are excited for them to have reached this milestone in their careers.. Areas like these come to the forefront as the NBA continues to strive for an earned reputation as a progressive organization. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. 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. 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. Were capable and not just capable but like beyond excellent and can do the job just as well as our male counterparts.. View. Before becoming a ref in 2018, Moyer-Gleich officiated games for the WNBA. Cheryl Flores and Dannica Mosher have been promoted to the level of full-time staff officials, the NBA said Thursday. All that self-affirmation has finally come full circle. Revolution Interrupted: Why Has the NBA's Effort to Hire Female Refs NBA hires Danielle Scott, league's 6th female full-time ref