Sporting Witness
Sporting Witness
The first female NBA referee
Up next
August 12, 2023
10 minutes
Available for over a year
In 1997, Violet Palmer made history by becoming the first female referee in the NBA.
During her career she faced sexism and discrimination.
Violet tells Gill Kearsley about the anticipation and excitement of refereeing her first match.
(Photo: Violet Palmer in 2013. Credit: Scott Halleran/Getty Images)