Pioneering referee Violet Palmer to retire from on-court duties

Violet Palmer, a referee who broke the gender barrier among NBA officials, retired from on-court duties according to Bleacher Report. Palmer and Dee Kantner were hired by the NBA as the first women to be officials for regular season games in the league.

Palmer has also officiated hundreds of WNBA games. She is a former star for Cal Poly Pomona and played on the 1985 and 1986 NCAA Division II women’s championship teams.
Before she began officiating professional games, she worked as a referee for recreation leagues, high schools and colleges.

In the past few years Palmer has also served as the director of women’s basketball officiating for the Pac-12 and West Coast Conferences.

Violet Palmer says #ncaaw rules changes were "a long time overdue." The game was getting "lethargic" & "sluggish." #Pac12MediaDay

— Hoopfeed.com ? (@hoopfeed) October 14, 2015