Natalie Sago

Last updated
Natalie Sago
Born (1989-05-24) May 24, 1989 (age 34) [1]
NationalityFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
EducationFarmington High School, Drury University, University Missouri-St. Louis
Occupation NBA referee

Natalie Sago (born May 24, 1989) is a professional basketball referee in the National Basketball Association (NBA), wearing number 9. Sago is the fifth woman to become a full-time NBA referee.

On November 15, 2018, the NBA announced that Sago was promoted to become a full-time member of the league's officiating staff; she previously officiated NBA games as a non-staff referee, [2] [3] as well as three full seasons in both the NBA Gatorade League and the WNBA.

Sago played college softball for Jefferson College from 2007–2009 and Drury University for 2009–2011. Sago earned a bachelor's degree in K-12 Physical Education from the University of Missouri–St. Louis.

Sago's father, Dr. Shelton Sago, officiated basketball for 35 years for the Missouri State High School Activities Association, retiring in 2019. He continues to officiate high school football. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl Strom</span> American basketball referee (1927–1994)

Earl "Yogi" Strom was an American professional basketball referee for 29 years in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and for three years in the American Basketball Association (ABA). Strom is credited as one of the greatest referees in the history of the NBA and was known for his flamboyant style and ability to control the game. Nicknamed "The Pied Piper", the assertive Strom made foul calls with his whistle by using a "tweet-pause-tweet-tweet" tune and pointing at the offending player. In addition to calling fouls with flair, he was known for ejecting players from games with style and he sometimes supported his rulings with physical force.

Norm Drucker was a major influence in professional basketball officiating for over 35 years. His NBA and ABA officiating career as both a referee and Supervisor of Officials spanned the careers of all-time pro basketball greats, from George Mikan, Bob Cousy, Dolph Schayes and Bob Pettit in the 1950s, to Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and Bill Russell in the 1960s, to Julius Erving, Rick Barry, Bill Bradley and Walt Frazier in the 1970s and to Larry Bird and Magic Johnson in the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dick Bavetta</span> American basketball referee (born 1939)

Richard W. Bavetta is an American retired professional basketball referee for the National Basketball Association (NBA). He debuted in the league in 1975 and never missed an assigned game, and he holds the league record for most officiated games with 2,635.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Javie</span> American basketball referee (born 1955)

Steve Javie is an American retired professional basketball referee who refereed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from the 1986–87 NBA season to the 2010–11 season and is currently an analyst with ESPN and a Catholic permanent deacon. Javie officiated 1,514 regular season, 243 playoff, and 23 NBA Finals games and is one of few NBA referees to officiate 1,000 games. According to Referee magazine, Javie was a highly regarded referee in the NBA, and he was respected within the officiating community for his game management skills. He was also notable during his NBA officiating career for his quickness in assessing technical fouls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joey Crawford</span> American basketball referee (born 1951)

Joseph Crawford is an American retired professional basketball referee who worked in the National Basketball Association (NBA) between 1977 and 2016. Crawford, who wore uniform number 17, was regarded as one of the most punitive and controversial officials in the NBA and developed a reputation for assessing technical fouls against both players and coaches. As of the conclusion of the 2014–15 NBA season, Crawford had worked more playoff (313) and NBA Finals games (50) than any other active referee in the league. He officiated in every NBA Finals series from 1986 to 2015, only missing 2007 due to suspension. In addition to playoff games, Crawford officiated the NBA All-Star Game in 1986, 1992 and 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugh Evans (basketball)</span> American basketball referee (1941–2022)

Hubert "Hugh" Evans was an American basketball referee in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 28 seasons. He worked 1,969 regular season NBA games and 35 NBA Finals games during his NBA officiating career from 1972 to 2001. He subsequently served as an assistant supervisor of officials in the NBA front office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernie Fryer</span>

Bernie W. Fryer has been Vice President and Director of Officials for the National Basketball Association since July 2008. He was a player in the NBA and American Basketball Association (ABA) from 1973 to 1975 before serving as a referee from 1978 to 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny Crawford</span> American basketball referee

Danny Crawford is a retired American professional basketball referee in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Crawford, made his 23rd straight NBA Finals appearance in Game 1 of the 2017 Finals. Crawford has been an NBA referee since 1985 and has worked at least one NBA Finals game each season since 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Delaney (basketball)</span> American basketball referee

Robert J. Delaney is a former undercover New Jersey state trooper and professional basketball referee in the National Basketball Association (NBA) who officiated from the 1987–88 NBA season up until the 2010–11 NBA season. Beginning the 2006–07 NBA season, Delaney had officiated in 1,182 regular season games, 120 playoff games, and seven NBA Finals games. In addition, he was assigned to the 1998 NBA All-Star Game. He wore the uniform number 26.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eddie Rush</span> American basketball player

Eddie F. Rush is a professional basketball referee in the National Basketball Association (NBA). As of the 2006–07 NBA season, he had officiated 1,245 regular season, and 140 playoff games, including nine NBA Finals games.

Sarah Thomas is an American football official, currently for the National Football League (NFL).

Joseph M. DeRosa is an American retired collegiate and professional basketball referee. DeRosa and Joe Forte are the only two people to have officiated both the NBA Finals and the NCAA Men's Final Four. He was one of the three officials selected to work the 2012 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament semifinal game between Louisville and Kentucky. DeRosa also officiated both the 2014 National Championship game between Kentucky and Connecticut, and the 2015 National Championship game between Duke and Wisconsin. He has officiated in the Southeastern and Big 12 Conferences since 2010. DeRosa started his officiating career as a high school referee in the Western Kentucky Region 1. While he owned a liquor store in Paducah, Kentucky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natalie Nakase</span> American basketball player and coach

Natalie Mitsue Nakase is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach with the Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). After retiring as a player, she was a head coach for both men's and women's professional teams. She was later an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers in the National Basketball Association (NBA)

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lauren Holtkamp</span> American basketball referee

Lauren Holtkamp is a professional basketball referee in the National Basketball Association (NBA), wearing number 7. Holtkamp became the third woman to be a full-time NBA referee. Holtkamp also played college basketball at Drury University from 2000 to 2004. Holtkamp previously refereed the last five NBA Development League seasons before becoming a full-time referee for the 2014–15 NBA season. Holtkamp officiated four seasons in the WNBA including the WNBA 2014 conference finals. Holtkamp graduated from Emory University with a Master of Divinity. She also graduated from Drury University with both a Master of Arts in Communication and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. In June 2017, Holtkamp married NBA referee Jonathan Sterling. In 2019, Holtkamp gave birth to their daughter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashley Moyer-Gleich</span> American basketball referee (born 1987)

Ashley Moyer-Gleich is an American professional basketball referee in the National Basketball Association (NBA), wearing number 13. Moyer-Gleich became the fourth woman to be a full-time NBA referee. Moyer-Gleich played college basketball at Millersville University in Millersville, Pennsylvania. Moyer-Gleich previously refereed in NBA Gatorade League for two seasons and the 2018 WNBA season before becoming a full-time referee for the 2018-19 NBA season. On October 22, 2018, Moyer-Gleich made her NBA official debut refereeing a regular season contest between Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. On November 15, 2018, the NBA announced that Moyer-Gleich was promoted to a full-time member of the league's officiating staff which she previously officiated three regular-season games and two preseason games as a non-staff referee.

Simone Marie Jelks is an American professional basketball referee in the National Basketball Association (NBA), wearing number 81. Jelks became the seventh woman to be a full-time NBA referee. As of the 2020–21 NBA season Jelks has officiated 49 regular-season games, including 16 regular-season games as a non-staff official during the 2019–20 NBA season. She is in her second season as an NBA referee.

Tyler Ford is an American professional basketball referee in the National Basketball Association (NBA), wearing number 39. As of the 2020-21 NBA season Ford has officiated 333 regular-season games and 15 playoff games. He is in his seventh season as an NBA referee.

JB DeRosa is an American professional basketball referee for the National Basketball Association (NBA), wearing number 22. As of the 2021-22 NBA season DeRosa has officiated 256 regular-season games and 3 playoff games. He is in his sixth season as an NBA referee. DeRosa is the son of former NBA official Joe DeRosa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Foster (basketball)</span> NBA referee (born 1967)

Scott Foster is an American professional basketball referee for the National Basketball Association (NBA). He began officiating games for the NBA in the 1994–95 season and wears number 48.

References

  1. "Natalie Sago's Profile" (PDF). official.nba.com.
  2. "NBA promotes 5 refs, including 2 women, to full-time status". chicagotribune.com.
  3. "NBA promotes five referees to 2018-19 officiating staff". nba.com.
  4. "Sago makes her debut as NBA referee". dailyjournalonline.com.