Pioneering Women in NCAA and NBA Refereeing History

The world of sports officiating, once dominated by men, has seen significant strides in female representation over the years. This article explores the journey of women who have broken barriers and paved the way for future generations in NCAA and NBA refereeing. From Violet Palmer, the first woman to officiate an NBA game, to the current trailblazers like Lauren Holtkamp, Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Natalie Sago, and Jenna Schroeder, these women have demonstrated exceptional skill, resilience, and a deep love for the game.

Early Pioneers and the Breaking of Barriers

Violet Palmer: The First in the NBA

Violet Palmer stands as a monumental figure in the history of women in NBA refereeing. Born on July 20, 1964, in Lynwood, California, and raised in Compton, she built the Broncos into an NCAA Division II powerhouse. As the starting point guard, she led the Broncos to back-to-back National Championships (1985 and 1986), three regional titles, and four CCAA regular-season championships. Palmer's journey began with playground recreation games and high school games after her graduation in 1986. On Tuesday, the National Basketball Association named Violet Palmer as one of five additional full-time referees hired for the upcoming basketball season. She made history on October 31, 1997, by becoming the first woman to officiate an NBA game, marking a pivotal moment in the league's history. This achievement not only shattered gender barriers but also opened doors for aspiring female referees across the nation. Palmer officiated in the WNBA during its inaugural year and worked the WBNA Finals multiple times. She won the Naismith Award for Official of the Year in 1999 and officiated the 2014 NBA All-Star Game.

Despite facing criticism and skepticism, Palmer's skill and dedication earned her respect within the league. Charles Barkley, a former basketball player, once said, "Violet, I was wrong about you. I apologize. You're all right with me." After years of refereeing at various levels, including NBA pre-season and exhibition games, Palmer was offered an opportunity to officiate the NCAA Division I men's tournament in 1996. Her presence on the court challenged preconceived notions and inspired many. In 2001, Palmer established Violet Palmer's Official Camp to train youths in the art of officiating games. On September 22, 2016, Palmer retired from on-court duties with the NBA due to knee issues. Afterward, she began work as a manager in the NBA's referee operations department. Palmer has continued to give back to the sport at the collegiate level, where she serves as women's basketball Coordinator of Officials for the Pac-12, WCC, WAC, Big Sky, and Big West conferences.

Dee Kantner: Joining Palmer in the NBA

Alongside Violet Palmer, Dee Kantner was also named as one of five additional full-time referees hired for the upcoming basketball season. Kantner played basketball while attending the University of Pittsburgh on a field hockey scholarship. Their appointment demonstrated the NBA's commitment to recognizing talent regardless of gender.

The Rise of a New Generation

Lauren Holtkamp: From Drury University to the NBA

Lauren Holtkamp's journey to the NBA is a testament to her passion for basketball and her willingness to break new ground. It starts with Lauren Holtkamp - the first to arrive of the three - making her way to the NBA in 2014. A member of the first Drury women’s basketball team in 2000, Holtkamp has always been a pioneer. “Of all the things we could volunteer for at this camp, I chose to referee the scrimmages,” Holtkamp recollected laughing. Drury basketball is the reason Holtkamp is where she is today. Holtkamp’s career ended as Molly Miller’s, then Carter, began. Miller became a Panthers legend and is the current head coach that led them to the national semifinals this season. “I’ll tell you as someone that was part of that origin story,” Holtkamp said, “it’s so exciting to see that sustainability and success of the program so many years later. BIG thank you to Lady Panther Alum. Lauren Holtkamp for coming to talk to our team before our 1st practice of the season today! She paved her way through the D-League and the WNBA before reaching the NBA.

Holtkamp: “I remember being able to go into these [DII] institutions, not that far removed from being a student-athlete and coming in in a professional sense and not an athlete. It was a really interesting transition. But I always felt at home at the Division II schools. It helped me understand and appreciate my experiences as a student-athlete. I witnessed other student-athletes working together. "Oh my gosh, I do remember what it felt like to prepare in the D-League for years, and then the WNBA, and then have this opportunity to step on the floor and know that there was so much more to learn. Just to know the culmination of all that work created that opportunity. “I can remember one of the first plays that I was like, ‘I wish I had that whistle back.’ LeBron James had a play to the basket and I was the lead. It was such a powerful, quick play, he just exploded towards me on the baseline. Holtkamp has always been a pioneer.

Ashley Moyer-Gleich: A Natural Progression from Athlete to Referee

Ashley Moyer-Gleich's path to the NBA took an unexpected turn. A four-year student-athlete for a Millersville Marauders team that made it to the round of 16 in the DII women’s basketball championship. “I never wanted to be a referee,” Moyer-Gleich said. “I wanted to be a coach; I think that’s the natural progression of most athletes. In Pennsylvania, where I took my [referee] test, for you to pass you have to do on court training. It was a middle school girls' inter-squad game and I fell in love with it. A stop at the DI level, a few years on the D or G-League circuit, a summer in the WNBA, and then it happened.

Moyer-Gleich: "My first game was back in October [2018]. I refereed in Oklahoma City. I’ll never forget it; it may have been sold out. It was so many people in one arena for one preseason game. What was even cooler was about five girls from the G-League, including Natalie, all five flew down to be at my game. I could feel my heartbeat in my throat, but I could see the girls standing there cheering and waving. While Moyer-Gleich, Sago, and Holtkamp have become friends sharing the spotlight, they have also become pioneers. But don’t tell them that. Moyer-Gleich: "As I was going through the journey, I didn’t think that I was doing anything that was trailblazing. But everything is on social media and ESPN and is magnified. I can see now what kind of role we serve in inspiring the next generation of women. It comes with a lot of pressure and responsibility, but for so long I loved being a part of the game basketball, it just kind of comes naturally. It makes me blush. I look in the mirror and I’m just Ashley.

Natalie Sago: Following in Her Father's Footsteps

Natalie Sago, too, is a former DII athlete, also spending a couple of years at Drury. Oddly enough, where Sago shined was on the softball diamond, but she has no problem admitting basketball was always her first love. “My father just retired after 35 years of refereeing,” Sago said. “To be honest, at first I really didn’t want to be a referee. My dad and all his buddies were trying to convince me, but I went to all my dad’s games and everyone yelled at him. I was a big daddy’s girl, and I thought, ‘I can’t do this’. The road to the NBA was a similar one. For Sago and Moyer-Gleich in particular, the road traveled has been made more special by the fact that they've climbed the ladder and faced the same challenges together. “It’s awesome," Sago said. "We’re both females and sometimes we just have to have some girl talk.

Sago: "My family is only three-and-a-half hours from Memphis and got to be there. My dad is so invested this, and me and my dad have that tie. He gets it. It was really neat. The coolest thing was walking out of the tunnel and looking up at my parents and brother in the stands. “I didn’t even have my first whistle six minutes into the game. I called a foul on Chandler Parsons. To be honest, it was soft. I told him, ‘hey, I got to get my first one on somebody.’ He was great.

Read also: Crafting Your NCAA Profile

“I might be biased, but women’s basketball in the PSAC, it’s a tough conference. It was hard basketball and taught me some valuable lessons. I remember my first game back in the PSAC was at West Chester, and they were a pretty big rival when I was there. I was a ball of nerves just to be there. I have such a great respect and admiration for the PSAC, and I’m so proud to be a PSAC alum. "I hate saying this because we’re all just referees, but the biggest challenge is just letting people know you belong. We go through the same training, the same meetings, read the same rule book. You got to have tough skin and get through it. Noah K. Sago: "A lot of my friends are like, ‘you’re a pioneer’. I don’t feel like it. I still look up to Dee [Kanter] and Violet [Palmer, the first two women referees] and Lauren, and even Ashley. This past weekend I got to go to the Final Four and got to speak on an all women’s panel to the Women’s Academy girls. "If I’m walking on or off the court and I see a little girl holding her hand over the railing wanting a high five, or hear a mom yell, ‘thank you for doing this for my daughter,’ it’s like, ‘wow, this is really happening.’ It’s crazy, I swear, every night I go on the floor I get the chills non-stop. It’s so fun. The people that you meet, the girls you are inspiring.

Jenna Schroeder: From Leading Scorer to NBA Referee

Schroeder is the most recent to join the NBA ranks. She was not only a graduate from Saginaw Valley State, but she was also the Cardinals leading scorer. Prior to her becoming a full-time NBA referee, we had the opportunity to speak to Holtkamp, Moyer-Gleich, and Sago at the conclusion of the 2018 season.

Overcoming Challenges and Earning Respect

Despite their talent and dedication, female referees often face unique challenges. Sago: "I hate saying this because we’re all just referees, but the biggest challenge is just letting people know you belong. We go through the same training, the same meetings, read the same rule book. You got to have tough skin and get through it. Jenn McCall said "Nine times out of 10, I'm going to get yelled at more than any male official I work with, even if it's his first day," she said.

Crystal Hogan: Breaking Barriers in Men's Division I Basketball

Crystal Hogan - former athlete, mother, parole officer - is also the only female official in the country working men’s Division I basketball games. One of the few to ever do it. This would have been during the late summer in southern California. Bobby Dibler? Coordinator for the Western Officiating Consortium, managing referees for six D-I leagues. He had an offer for Crystal. “I thought she was going to wreck her car. And so came the latest turn in the road - literally and figuratively - for Crystal Hogan. That started as a little girl in Compton, when “I look back and all my childhood friends were the guys who I used to play football in the street with, from light pole to light pole. As a basketball player, I enjoyed playing with the boys (including James Harden in pickup games at a fitness center). She was a multisport athlete in high school, took her basketball skills to Compton College and Long Beach State, then was introduced to officiating by a friend. Liked it. No, strike that. She preferred working the guys’ games for the challenge, but the high schools were hesitant about that sort of thing. Hogan still remembers the day she called a foul and counted a basket. The foulee was Harden. The fouler was Kobe Bryant. “He gave me a look,” she said. Every day, every second in the Drew League prepared her for what was to come. Hogan was good enough, and strong enough and committed enough to work the Drew League for years, even through some zig-zags with her day job as a parole agent. Transferred, laid off, hired back. And a daughter to raise. Then came the past summer. She was invited to a camp in Las Vegas to work a high-level boys AAU tournament with other candidates. Dibler and many other decision-makers in the officiating community were in the stands to evaluate, looking for new referees. “They’re fast-paced, up-and-down-the-court games, they’re very competitive, the emotions run very high. Through that, she pretty much took that game over relative to game management and control and composure and enforcing the rules, that it just caught me when I was least expecting it. Dibler studied Hogan’s presence and demeanor, on and off the court, liking what he saw. “She was just a natural at what she did. She fit right in. There were certainly no worries about her toughness; not a woman who spends the day as a parole officer. “She deals with felons,” Dibler said. on August 15, he picked up his phone to call Crystal Hogan. Big deal to her. Big deal overall? “My philosophy, when people ask me about officiating, I say black white, purple, gold, male, female, it doesn’t matter,” said J.D. Collins, NCAA national coordinator of officials. “What matters is they can officiate. Her first game was Puget Sound at Seattle. “Initially I was nervous, until I threw the ball up, and my partners were so awesome. I was in my element. I felt extremely good and confident,” she said. She kept no mementos from the night. Things seem to have gone well. “She’s had opportunities in all six leagues, and there have been no negative comments come back,” Dibler said. Hogan report her fellow officials have been great, and reception from the stands respectful. Well, as respectful as referees are going to get. “I heard one comment I knew I was going to hear sooner or later. Collins foresees no issues on the response to a female official. “I don’t think there will be any difference, based upon her abilities. It doesn’t matter, you will earn respect. She’ll go through the same path that other officials go through, in earning that respect. On this particular day, Hogan had just left work, where the bosses have been cooperative, allowing her to flex her schedule. “Everybody is aware of what I’m doing, and my passion for it and how big this is for me.” There is even a connection between her two working universes. “The communication, the respect, which is a two-way street. The professionalism that’s required. The biggest thing is the management, the game management vs. “I’ve come to the conclusion that failures lead to success. Through my journey, there’s been ups and downs. It just shows that if you continue to be persistent, if you continue to work hard and stay positive and just keep going, good things happen. “My No. 1 goal is to bring out these little girls to know whatever they want to do, they can do it. I have a daughter and I try to let her see that nothing’s impossible. When I see little girls on the sideline - when I see little boys on the sideline - I make it a point to either talk to them, give them a high-five or let them hold the ball. Hope is a major thing for me. One other goal for Crystal Hogan: There’s a thing called March Madness. “That would be amazing.

The Impact and Inspiration

The presence of women in NCAA and NBA refereeing has had a profound impact, inspiring countless young girls and women to pursue their dreams in sports. Moyer-Gleich: "As I was going through the journey, I didn’t think that I was doing anything that was trailblazing. But everything is on social media and ESPN and is magnified. I can see now what kind of role we serve in inspiring the next generation of women. It comes with a lot of pressure and responsibility, but for so long I loved being a part of the game basketball, it just kind of comes naturally. It makes me blush. I look in the mirror and I’m just Ashley. Sago: "If I’m walking on or off the court and I see a little girl holding her hand over the railing wanting a high five, or hear a mom yell, ‘thank you for doing this for my daughter,’ it’s like, ‘wow, this is really happening.’ It’s crazy, I swear, every night I go on the floor I get the chills non-stop. It’s so fun. The people that you meet, the girls you are inspiring. Hogan said "My No. 1 goal is to bring out these little girls to know whatever they want to do, they can do it. I have a daughter and I try to let her see that nothing’s impossible. When I see little girls on the sideline - when I see little boys on the sideline - I make it a point to either talk to them, give them a high-five or let them hold the ball. Hope is a major thing for me.

Jenn McCall: Taking Center Stage at the Olympics

Jenn McCall still finds it hard to put into words what it was like to officiate at the 2024 Paris Olympics. "It was surreal. There's nothing that compares to the Olympics," McCall said. She's no stranger to major sporting events, having attended the Super Bowl and World Series, yet the Olympics stood in a league of its own. female water polo referee at the Olympic Games. That love began during her college years. As a water polo player at both Pacific and Southern California, McCall honed the skills that would later set her apart as a referee. "The natural part was just knowing the game," she said. "I was confident I knew the rules. I knew the game. However, it took years after her playing days ended for McCall to realize that officiating could be her next chapter. During a local tournament she was helping to run, a referee had to leave due to a family emergency. "I thought, 'Well, I'm a certified referee,'" she recalled. "So I got out there and reffed the rest of the day for him. That's how I got my feet wet. From that point on, McCall said "yes" to every officiating opportunity - club matches, local scrimmages and national tournaments. At the same time, she has managed a demanding career as a paralegal. Officiating hundreds of matches annually - sometimes as many as 500 - has meant sacrificing weekends, vacations and free time. "The days that I'm busy, when my to-do list is packed and I have to be out the door by 4 o'clock for a 6 o'clock game - I think I'm better," she said. "My time management improves. McCall's career as a referee progressed quickly, thanks to her deep understanding of water polo's intricacies. "The hardest part is blowing your whistle," McCall said. "Being a player at one of the highest levels in the United States is a huge benefit," she said. By the time she reached Paris, McCall was no stranger to high-stakes events. She had already officiated NCAA championships and international tournaments. But the Olympics was different. "We were at two different pools," McCall said. "The first had a 6,500-seat sold-out crowd for every single game. Amid the spectacle, McCall reflected on her journey from student-athlete to one of the sport's most respected referees. "When the appointment was announced, people - some I didn't even know - started reaching out," she said. Yet the journey hasn't been without its challenges. "There were literally fewer than a handful of women who came before me, but they helped me get to where I am," McCall said. McCall sees a natural pipeline from college athletics to officiating as a way to increase female representation in the field. "If we showed athletes that officiating is a viable route and encouraged it, it would make a difference," she said. "But it's not the natural route for most of them because they don't know about it. "My biggest advice is to be a student of the game, don't take things personally and focus on improving every time," McCall said. "I hope to continue showing that we belong here.

The Broader Context

While the NBA has been at the forefront of employing female referees, other major sports leagues have lagged. The National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, and National Football League have never hired female referees on a full-time basis. Major League Soccer has used women as officials occasionally, but not on a full-basis.

tags: #ncaa #female #referee #history