Violet Palmer | |
|---|---|
 Palmer in 2009 | |
| Born | (1964-07-20)July 20, 1964 (age 61) |
| Alma mater | Cal Poly Pomona |
| Occupation | Basketball referee |
| Years active | 1997–2016 |
| Employer | National Basketball Association |
Violet Renice Palmer (born July 20, 1964) is a retired Americanbasketball referee in theNBA andWNBA[1] and the first female official to reach the highest competitive tier in any major U.S. professional sports league. She also earned recognition as a member of twoNCAA Division II women's championship basketball teams. Palmer was the first woman to officiate an NBA playoff game when she did so in the April 25, 2006 match between theIndiana Pacers andNew Jersey Nets. In the NBA, Palmer wore uniform number 12.[2] She retired in 2016[3] and was inducted into theWomen's Basketball Hall of Fame and theLGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame in 2025.[4][5]
Violet Palmer was born July 20, 1964 inLynwood, California.[6] She was raised inCompton, California, and grew up in the same neighborhood whereSerena andVenus Williams lived as small children. She graduated fromCompton High School, and attended college atCal Poly Pomona.[6][7] While at Cal Poly, she playedpoint guard on the 1985 and 1986 NCAA Division II women's championship teams.[7]
In 2001, Palmer established Violet Palmer's Official Camp to train youths in the art of officiating games. The camp runs annually from July 9 to July 11.[citation needed]
In 2010, Palmer was part of a family team on the game showFamily Feud.[8]
In 2022, Palmer received an honorary doctorate of science from her alma mater, Cal Poly Pomona.[9]
Palmer has officiated hundreds ofNBA andWNBA games.
After years of refereeing at various levels, including NBA pre-season and exhibition games, Palmer was offered an opportunity to officiate the NCAA Division I men's tournament in 1996. She accepted, but the offer was later retracted when NCAA members balked at the idea of having a female referee male players.[10]
In 1997, Palmer andDee Kantner were signed by the NBA to together become the first top-level female officials in any major U.S. professional sport. On October 31, 1997, Palmer made history when she officiated the NBA season opener between theVancouver Grizzlies and theDallas Mavericks, inBritish Columbia, Canada.[11]
As awoman, Palmer's achievement was received with mixed feelings. While magazines such asEbony[12] andSports Illustrated[13][14] generally celebrated her achievement, some NBA players were critical. Charles Barkley: "Violet, I was wrong about you. I apologize. You're all right with me."[15] Former basketball playerDennis Scott, who played for thePhoenix Suns at the time, also expressed concern at having females referee male players.[16] Scott, in particular, worried that female referees would feel verbally or physically abused. However, Palmer has been officiating without any major gender issues so far.
Palmer was one of three NBA referees who officiated thebrawl-marred December 16, 2006, game between theDenver Nuggets andNew York Knicks. The officiating crew, which also consisted ofDick Bavetta andRobbie Robinson, ejected all 10 players who were on the court when the brawl broke out.
On May 28, 2009, Palmer was hired as coordinator of women's basketball officials for theWest Coast Conference.[17]
On February 16, 2014, Palmer became the first female to officiate anAll-Star Game in any of the four major United States sports.
On July 6, 2015, Palmer was named coordinator of women's basketball officials for theWestern Athletic Conference.[18]
On September 22, 2016, Palmer retired from on-court duties with the NBA due to knee issues. Afterward, she began work as a manager in the NBA's referee operations department. At the time of her retirement, she had refereed 919 NBA games.[19]
On June 20, 2022, Palmer was hired as coordinator of women's basketball officials for theBig West Conference.[20]
Palmer is an out lesbian.[21] In July 2014, she announced plans to marry her girlfriend of 20 years, celebrity hair stylist Tanya Stine.[22]