Natalie Sago Becomes Third Woman Chosen to Officiate NBA Playoffs
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The NBA on Monday released the roster of 36 referees assigned to the 2026 play-in tournament and opening round of the playoffs, naming Natalie Sago to the crew. Her selection makes her only the third woman ever tapped for postseason duty, following Violet Palmer and Ashley Moyer-Gleich.
Sago learned of the appointment Saturday, when NBA referee operations executive Albert Sanders phoned her as she arrived at Salt Lake City International Airport. “I see his name pop up and I was like, ‘Oh boy, here we go. Did we screw something up in the game last night in Utah?’” Sago recalled. “But then that phone call turned out to be a pretty awesome phone call.”
How the NBA Picks Playoff Officials
According to the league, playoff referees are chosen using season-long grades, rankings, call accuracy and team evaluations, with additional reviews after each round. Fewer than half of the NBA’s referees typically earn postseason assignments.
Monty McCutchen, who directs referee development and training, said gender is irrelevant once performance standards are met. “What you care about is whether they’ve been trained properly, and whether you can trust that they will be there for you when you need them,” he noted.
Milestone for Women in Stripes
Palmer worked nine playoff contests between 2006 and 2012, and Moyer-Gleich handled two in 2024. Sago’s first appearance this spring will mark the 12th postseason game officiated by a woman in NBA history.
“It’s such an honor,” Sago said. “I’m ready to put on a performance for the women coming behind me and all the young little girls that are going to be watching the playoffs. … I just want us all to be NBA referees.”
Complete 2026 Playoff Referee Roster
Ray Acosta, Brent Barnaky, Curtis Blair, Tony Brothers, Nick Buchert, John Butler, James Capers, Sean Corbin, Kevin Cutler, Eric Dalen, Marc Davis, JB DeRosa, Mitchell Ervin, Tyler Ford, Brian Forte, Scott Foster, Pat Fraher, Jacyn Goble, John Goble, Jason Goldenberg, Courtney Kirkland, Marat Kogut, Karl Lane, Mark Lindsay, Tre Maddox, Ed Malloy, Andy Nagy, Gediminas Petraitis, Kevin Scott, Ben Taylor, Josh Tiven, Justin Van Duyne, James Williams, Sean Wright, Zach Zarba and Natalie Sago.
Foster (262 playoff games), Davis (218), Brothers (216), Capers (204), Zarba (173), John Goble (151), Malloy (150), Wright (104) and Corbin (100) have each topped 100 postseason appearances. Sago and Goldenberg are the only first-time selections on this year’s list.
Sago, who has worked more than 400 regular-season contests, follows a family tradition; her father has officiated basketball for over three decades.
Source: ESPN
