Natalie Sago is set to make history as the third woman selected to referee in the NBA playoffs. The announcement came from the NBA on Monday, naming the 36 officials chosen to work the play-in tournament and the first round of the playoffs. Sago joins Violet Palmer and Ashley Moyer-Gleich as the only women to achieve this milestone.
The Phone Call That Changed Everything
Sago initially feared the phone call delivering the news might be about a mistake. She was at the airport in Salt Lake City when she received the call from Albert Sanders, the NBA executive overseeing referee operations.
“I see his name pop up and I was like: ‘Oh boy, here we go. Did we screw something up in the game last night in Utah?'” Sago said. “But then that phone call turned out to be a pretty awesome phone call.”
Earning a Playoff Spot
Fewer than half of the NBA’s referees are selected for playoff assignments each season. Sago and Moyer-Gleich were promoted to the league’s full-time staff in 2018, becoming only the fourth and fifth women to reach that level.
Monty McCutchen, who oversees referee development and training for the NBA, emphasised the importance of trust and training. “When you’re on a high wire with no net under you and you’re depending on the person to catch you, you don’t really care what gender they are,” McCutchen said. “What you care about is whether they’ve been trained properly, and whether you can trust that they will be there for you when you need them.”
According to the league, playoff officials are selected based on several factors. These include NBA Referee Operations grades and rankings, play-calling accuracy and team rankings. Further evaluations are conducted after each playoff round.
Making History on the Court
Sago expressed her excitement and readiness for the opportunity. “It’s such an honor,” Sago said. “I couldn’t be more excited and ready to just put on a performance for the other women coming behind me and all the young little girls that are going to be watching the playoffs.”
- Palmer officiated nine playoff games between 2006 and 2012.
- Moyer-Gleich worked two games in 2024.
- Sago’s first assignment will be the 12th time a woman has officiated an NBA playoff game.
Sago hopes her selection will pave the way for more women in the profession. “I hope it does become normal,” Sago said. “As long as we can do the work and do it well and work hard, it’s the same thing the men do on the staff. I just want us all to be NBA referees. I don’t want to be known as, ‘Oh, you’re the fifth female hired in the NBA ever.’ OK, great. I know that. But we’re all the same people. We do the same job.”
Looking Ahead
The league does not announce specific referee assignments until the day of the game. The other playoff referees are Ray Acosta, Brent Barnaky, Curtis Blair, Tony Brothers, Nick Buchert, John Butler, James Capers, Sean Corbin, Kevin Cutler, Eric Dalen, Marc Davis, JB DeRosa, Mitchell Ervin, Tyler Ford, Brian Forte, Scott Foster, Pat Fraher, Jacyn Goble, John Goble, Jason Goldenberg, and Courtney Kirkland.