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The NBA has always been a league that prides itself on giving equal opportunity to everyone. Professional basketball has broken world barriers by having star players from countless different countries and broken the gender barrier as well.
In the 1990s, only two female referees managed to work their way to the top. Now, there are five different women officiating games on a nightly basis.
Top 5 NBA female referees in the game today
1) Lauren Holtkamp
Kicking off the list is Lauren Holtkamp. She etched her name into the history books as the first mother to officiate a league game.
Before becoming an NBA referee, Holtkamp played college basketball at Southwest Missouri State. After a successful college career, she began working her way up as an official. Holtkamp reffed in the G-League for six years before eventually getting the call-up to the big stage.
2) Simone Jelks
Next up is Simone Jelks, who became the league's seventh full-time female ref in 2019.
Similar to Holtkamp, Jelks played basketball at a highly competitive level before entering the world of officiating. She played in high school and college in Croatia and Puerto Rico before returning to the States and becoming a ref.
3) Ashley Moyer-Gleich
After playing college basketball in Millersville, Pennsylvania, Ashley Moyer decided to pursue a career in officiating. Her husband, Johnee Gleich, is currently an official in the NCAA.
Before becoming a ref in 2018, Moyer-Gleich officiated games for the WNBA. Today, she is best known for the memes that surfaced after an encounter she had with Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic.
4) Natalie Sago
Before joining the big-league ranks, Natalie Sago was a ref for the G-League and WNBA. However, her journey was slightly different from some of her female counterparts.
Sago was a collegiate athlete but played softball instead of basketball. 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.
5) Jenna Schroeder
Last up on the list is Jenna Schroeder. 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.
Before finally making her way to the league, Schroeder reffed in almost every league imaginable. She officiated games for the B-League, WNBA, Big East, and ACC during her journey to the top.
Guess the Lakers players!
