(KMOX) - For the first time in the history of the National Basketball Association, there were multiple women referees working a game. One of those officials was born in St. Louis.
Natalie Sago, a third-year NBA official, worked the Orlando Magic versus Charlotte Hornets game on Monday a night. She was born in St. Louis, then went to Farmington High School and graduated from the University of Missouri - St. Louis. She and Jenna Schroeder broke the historic barrier.
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“It’s so cool,” Sago told the Associated Press. “All of us, we’re so happy and excited to work together. We just have a good group of females, we’re all close, we have great relationships and we share these moments.”
Sago is one of five female refs currently in the NBA's rotation and has known about this moment since their schedules were handed out at the beginning of the season. But it wasn't made public until the morning of the game.
“It’s amazing,” Sago told AP. “I’m just proud to be part of an organization that promotes people to do the job based on our abilities, not on our gender, race, ethnicity, those types of things.”
In other news about females working sports, another woman will make Super Bowl history when she becomes the first female official in NFL championship game history. Sarah Thomas will work the Tampa Bay versus Kansas City game in Tampa next month.
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