Just as the regular season came to an end, Ashley Moyer-Gleich thought her campaign was over. However, for the first time in her career as a basketball referee, she has been chosen as part of the NBA officials who will oversee the upcoming playoffs.
She has become the first woman in 12 years to officiate a postseason game, and only the second in league history to do so. The NBA announced their list of 36 referees who will be part of Round 1 of the playoffs starting this weekend.
For Moyer-Gleich, this opportunity still feels surreal. “It’s surreal,” she said. “It really is.” She now joins Violet Palmer as the only other woman to have been given this assignment, with Palmer officiating in 9 playoff matches from 2006 to 2012.
The Pennsylvania native began her basketball journey as a former Division II player at Millersville University. Afterward, Ashley focused on refereeing and was promoted to the full-time NBA officiating ranks in 2018. She has officiated in over 200 regular-season games during her six seasons.
Today, she is one of three first-time playoff selections, along with Marat Kogut and J.T. Orr. “I worked four games as an alternate last year, 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,” Moyer-Gleich said.
Byron Spruell, NBA president of league operations, commended the new playoff officials. “Congratulations to these 36 officials on the well-earned and prestigious honor of being selected to officiate in the NBA Playoffs,” he said.
Moyer-Gleich reflects on the honor of representing women on NBA courts and building her legacy
The list of first-round referees selected by the league includes well-known names such as Tony Brothers, Ray Acosta, Sean Corbin, Brent Barnaky, Scott Foster, Curtis Blair, Nick Buchert, James Capers, Kevin Cutler, Marc Davis, JB DeRosa, Mitchell Ervin, Tyler Ford, Brian Forte, and more.
Ashley is proud to be a part of this shortlist. “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.”
The NBA typically narrows the list to 12 referees as they approach the NBA Finals. Despite not being there yet, Moyer-Gleich knows she is taking steps closer to her biggest dreams.
“And hopefully I can continue on the same trajectory, continue to increase my responsibility on the floor, maybe going from the referee to a crew chief at some point and then hopefully getting to the finals — the epitome of what we do. And whether I’m the first or not, I think just a female breaking through and getting that opportunity would be monumental,” Ashley expressed.
