Natalie Sago and Jenna Schroeder became the first two women to referee the same NBA game Monday night.
According to The Associated Press, Sago was referee, Schroeder was umpire and Sean Wright was crew chief in the Orlando Magic’s 117-108 home win over the Charlotte Hornets. It was the first two-woman referee crew in NBA history.
“This is a big deal,” Schroeder, who worked G League games with Sago in the past, said in the lead-up to the game. “It’s like my feminist dreams come true, that like my personal value are colliding with my professional values and it’s awesome.”
“It’s amazing,” Sago said. “I’m just proud to be part of an organization that promotes people to do the job based on our abilities, not on our gender, race, ethnicity, those types of things.”
The AP reported that there are seven women — Sago, Schroeder, Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling, Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Simone Jelks, Danielle Scott and Dannica Mosher — among the 76 officials that have refed NBA games during the 2020-21 season, which started Dec. 22.
“All of us, we’re so happy and excited to work together,” Sago said. “We have a good group of females, we’re all close, we have great relationships and we share these moments.”
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