Natalie Sago has been selected as one of the referees for this season's NBA playoffs, making her the third woman ever to officiate in postseason games, following Violet Palmer and Ashley Moyer-Gleich.
Less than half of the NBA's referees each season get playoff assignments (AP)
Less than half of the NBA's referees each season get playoff assignments (AP)
The NBA has unveiled the list of 36 officials selected to work this season's play-in tournament and first round of the playoffs.
Natalie Sago is on the list, making her the third woman in league history, after Violet Palmer and Ashley Moyer-Gleich, to be picked for postseason work.
Sago got the word on Saturday from Albert Sanders, the NBA executive who runs referee operations. She was arriving at the airport in Salt Lake City when the call came in.
âI see his name pop up and I was like: âOh boy, here we go. Did we screw something up in the game last night in Utah?â" said Sago, a veteran of more than 400 NBA games.
Sago is a veteran referee and her father has officiated basketball for more than 30 years (AP)
Sago is a veteran referee and her father has officiated basketball for more than 30 years (AP)
âBut then that phone call turned out to be a pretty awesome phone call.â
Evidently, she's been involved in plenty of good calls.
Less than half of the NBA's referees each season get playoff assignments. Sago wondered when her chance would come; she and Moyer-Gleich were promoted to the league's full-time staff in 2018, when they became the fourth and fifth women in league history to reach that level. More have followed.
âWhen youâre on a high wire with no net under you and youâre depending on the person to catch you, you donât really care what gender they are," said Monty McCutchen, who oversees referee development and training for the NBA. âWhat you care about is whether theyâve been trained properly, and whether you can trust that they will be there for you when you need them. And thatâs one of the things thatâs really important that, in my opinion, weâve gotten right.â
Playoff officials are selected, the league said, âbased on key criteria assessed throughout the season: NBA Referee Operations grades and rankings, play-calling accuracy and team rankings.â Further evaluations take place after each playoff round.
âItâs such an honor,â Sago said. "I couldnât 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.â
Palmer worked nine playoff games from 2006-12; Moyer-Gleich worked two in 2024. Sago's first assignment this year â the league doesn't announce what referees are where until the day of the game â will be the 12th for a woman in NBA playoff history.
âI hope it does become normal," Sago said. "As long as we can do the work and do it well and work hard, itâs the same thing the men do on the staff. I just want us all to be NBA referees. I donât want to be known as, âOh, youâre the fifth female hired in the NBA ever.â OK, great. I know that. But we're all the same people. We do the same job.â
Referee list
The 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, Courtney Kirkland, Marat Kogut, Karl Lane, Mark Lindsay, Tre Maddox, Ed Malloy, Andy Nagy, Gediminas Petraitis, Kevin Scott, Ben Taylor, Josh Tiven, Justin Van Duyne, James Williams, Sean Wright, Zach Zarba and Sago.
Foster (262), Davis (218), Brothers (216), Capers (204), Zarba (173), John Goble (151), Malloy (150), Wright (104) and Corbin (100) have all worked at least 100 playoff games.
Sago â whose father has officiated basketball for more than 30 years â and Goldenberg are the two first-time selections to the playoff staff.
Q&A
Who is Natalie Sago in the context of NBA refereeing?
Natalie Sago is an NBA referee who has recently been selected to officiate in the playoffs, becoming the third woman in league history to do so.
What does Natalie Sago's selection mean for women in sports officiating?
Sago's selection highlights the increasing representation of women in sports officiating, marking a significant milestone in the NBA's history.
Who were the other two women referees in NBA playoff history?
The other two women referees in NBA playoff history are Violet Palmer and Ashley Moyer-Gleich.
How many referees are selected for the NBA playoffs each season?
Less than half of the NBA's referees are selected for playoff assignments each season, with 36 officials chosen for this year's play-in tournament and first round.
Related Articles
Sports
LIV Golf is still going, but its days seem numbered and probably always were
LIV Golf's future appears uncertain as reports suggest Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund may withdraw funding after investing $5 billion. Despite assurances for the 2026 season, the tour faces challenges from low ratings and strong competition from the PGA Tour.
ESPN News··1 min read
MLB·Recap
Angels' Mike Trout hits another HR to join Aaron Judge in rare Yankee Stadium history
Mike Trout's 446-foot HR joins him with Aaron Judge in Yankee Stadium lore.
Yahoo Sports··1 min read
MLB·Feature
Tigers projected to take a gamble on the upside of a 6'3" prep bat
Detroit Tigers projected to take a risk on a 6'3" prep bat in the MLB draft.