NBA to have woman referee in playoffs for first time since 2012

Female representation will be in the adjudicating crew of this year's NBA Playoffs. 

Ashley Moyer-Gleich, 36, joins retired official Violet Palmer as only the second woman in history to be selected for a postseason assignment. Palmer, also the first woman to officiate an NBA All-Star Game in 2016, refereed nine playoff games between 2006 and 2012. 

According to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press, Moyer-Gleich had already made plans to go home after officiating her last regular-season game last week. She would receive an unexpected email from the league. 

"It's surreal. It really is," Moyer-Gleich told AP. "I worked four games as an alternate last year [in the playoffs], so obviously, my goal was I wanted to be an alternate again because that's just sustaining the growth that I've had in my career. 

"And then to see my name on list of working floor officials ... I mean, my mom was with me, she came with me on my last two games for a little trip, and to open that email and have her there with me and share that news, it was really quite amazing."

Moyer-Gleich, a full-time NBA official since 2018, worked more than 200 regular-season games over the last six seasons before getting her playoff nod. But the ambitious Moyer-Gleich has loftier goals. She is already setting her sights on calling an NBA Finals game. 

"Just like playoffs are coveted, the white jacket is even more super-coveted," she said. "Obviously, that's an aspiration and that's a goal way far down the road. And whether I'm the first or not, I think just a female breaking through and getting that opportunity would be monumental." 

Moyer-Gleich is part of a 36-person playoff officiating crew. The NBA trims the 36-person roster down for each round of the postseason, culminating with a 12-person team for the Finals. As part of NBA tradition, the 12 referees receive white jackets.