Ashley Moyer-Gleich makes history as part of 2024 playoff officiating crew

Ashley Moyer-Gleich is among the 36 referees chosen by the NBA to officiate the first round of the playoffs.

Before leaving for the airport on Saturday for what she believed to be her last game of the season, Ashley Moyer-Gleich checked her email.

That’s when the news arrived: She has more games to complete.

Moyer-Gleich will soon become only the second woman in NBA history to referee a playoff game. She was one of 36 referees announced by the league Thursday as its referee selections for Round 1 of the playoffs starting this weekend.

“Moyer-Gleich described it as surreal. “It really is,” she said.

She, alongside Violet Palmer, is one of the only women chosen by the NBA for a playoff assignment. Between 2006 and 2012, Palmer officiated nine playoff games.

In November 2018, Moyer-Gleich, who previously played Division II at Millersville University in her home state of Pennsylvania, was elevated to a full-time official position in the NBA. Over her six seasons, she has officiated over 200 regular-season games. This year, the league selected her for the playoffs for the first time, along with Marat Kogut and J.T. Orr, who are also first-time playoff selections.

“Last year, I served as an alternate for four games, so naturally, I aimed to maintain that role this year, as it represents the progress I’ve made in my career,” said Moyer-Gleich. “So, when I saw my name on the list of working floor officials, I was taken aback. My mom, who had joined me for my last two games, was there when I opened the email. Being able to share that news with her was truly an incredible experience.”

The full list of first-round referees chosen by the NBA: Ray Acosta, Brent Barnaky, Curtis Blair, Tony Brothers, Nick Buchert, James Capers, Sean Corbin, Kevin Cutler, Marc Davis, JB DeRosa, Mitchell Ervin, Tyler Ford, Brian Forte, Scott Foster, Pat Fraher, Jacyn Goble, John Goble, David Guthrie, Bill Kennedy, Courtney Kirkland, Karl Lane, Mark Lindsay, Ed Malloy, Gediminas Petraitis, Kevin Scott, Aaron Smith, Ben Taylor, Dedric Taylor, Josh Tiven, Justin Van Duyne, James Williams, Sean Wright, Zach Zarba, Kogut, Orr and Moyer-Gleich.

“Congratulations to these 36 officials on the well-earned and prestigious honor of being selected to officiate in the NBA Playoffs,” NBA President of League Operations Byron Spruell said. “We appreciate the professionalism, dedication and teamwork that our officiating staff displays on a daily basis throughout the season.”

Each round of the league sees a reduction in the officiating team, usually ending with a 12-person roster for the NBA Finals. The league has upheld a long-standing tradition of providing these referees with white warm-up jackets for Finals games.

Moyer-Gleich may not be there yet, but she has moved one step closer.

“She stated, ‘The white jacket, much like playoffs, is highly sought after, perhaps even more so. It’s obviously a long-term aspiration and goal. I hope to continue on this path, gradually taking on more responsibility on the floor, perhaps advancing from a referee to a crew chief at some point. The ultimate aim is to reach the finals – the pinnacle of our profession. Regardless of whether I’m the first, I believe it would be a significant breakthrough for a woman to have such an opportunity.'”