NBA referee Natalie Sago initially thought she was about to receive some unwelcome news – specifically, an unpleasant phone call.
She was mistaken.
On Monday, the NBA released the list of 36 officials chosen for this season’s play-in tournament and the opening round of the playoffs. Sago’s name appeared on the list, making her the third woman in league history – after Violet Palmer and Ashley Moyer-Gleich – to be selected for postseason duties.
Sago received the notification on Saturday from Albert Sanders, the NBA executive responsible for referee operations. She was arriving at the airport in Salt Lake City when the call came through.
“I saw his name pop up and my first thought was: ‘Oh boy, here we go. Did we mess something up in last night’s game in Utah?'” said Sago, who has officiated over 400 NBA games. “But then that phone call turned out to be an incredibly positive one.”
Evidently, she has been involved in many excellent calls.
Each season, fewer than half of the NBA’s referees are assigned to playoff games. Sago had often wondered when her opportunity would arrive; she and Moyer-Gleich were both promoted to the league’s full-time staff in 2018, becoming the fourth and fifth women in league history to reach that level. More have since followed.
“When you’re on a high wire with no net beneath you and you’re relying on someone to catch you, their gender is not a concern,” stated Monty McCutchen, who oversees referee development and training for the NBA. “What you care about is whether they’ve received proper training, and whether you can trust that they will be there for you when you need them. And that, in my opinion, is one of the truly important things we’ve managed to get right.”
Playoff officials are chosen, the league explained, “based on crucial criteria evaluated throughout the season: NBA Referee Operations’ grades and rankings, accuracy in making calls, and team assessments.” Further evaluations are conducted after each playoff round.
“It’s such an immense honor,” Sago expressed. “I couldn’t be more thrilled and prepared to perform exceptionally, setting an example for the other women coming up behind me and for all the young girls who will be watching the playoffs.”
Palmer officiated nine playoff games between 2006 and 2012; Moyer-Gleich worked two in 2024. Sago’s initial assignment this year – the league does not announce specific referee assignments until the day of the game – will mark the 12th time a woman has officiated an NBA playoff game in history.
“I truly hope it becomes commonplace,” Sago commented. “As long as we can perform the work diligently and skillfully, it’s the same standard as the men on the staff. I simply want us all to be recognized as NBA referees. I don’t want to be known as, ‘Oh, you’re the fifth female ever hired in the NBA.’ Okay, great, I acknowledge that. But we’re all the same individuals. We perform the same duties.”
The playoff officials include 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 participated in at least 100 playoff games.
Sago – whose father has been a basketball official for over 30 years – and Goldenberg are the two first-time additions to the playoff staff.