Moment: NBA history made as Sago, Schroeder part of first two-woman ref crew

With more female referees w in NBA than ever before, it was only a matter of time before two women would be scheduled to work same game. And Monday was that day.

Natalie Sago and Jenna Schroeder me up two-thirds of crew assigned to Charlotte at Orlando game, first time in NBA history that two women were assigned to work a regular-season contest toger. Sean Wright was picked to be crew chief, Sago referee, and Schroeder umpire.

Sago and Schroeder have worked games toger before; y were part of three-woman crews in G League. But at NBA level, it's a first — and it's a game y've been looking forward to since y saw it on internally distributed schedule a month ago. crews for games are t anunced publicly until 9 a.m. Eastern on game days, but Sago and Schroeder have been talking about it since y learned of schedule on Christmas Eve.

"This is a big deal," Schroeder said. "It's like my feminist dreams come true, that like my personal values are colliding with my professional values and it's awesome."

NBA has used 76 officials so far this season; seven are women, alrey most to work games during any season in league history. Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling, Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Simone Jelks, Danielle Scott, Dannica Mosher, Sago and Schroeder are all working games this season; Scott and Mosher are n-staff, or five are members of full-time NBA officiating roster.

"It's so cool," Sago said. "All of us, we're so happy and excited to work toger. We just have a good group of females, we're all close, we have great relationships and we share se moments."

original schedule called for ar crew with two women for a game later this week. That lineup has since been switched, but Sago is certain this game won't be NBA's last with multiple female refs.

"It's amazing," Sago said. "I'm just proud to be part of an organization that promotes people to do job based on our abilities, t on our , race, ethnicity, those s of things."

It's t lost on Sago or Schroeder that this game comes amid a flurry of historic days for women, in sports world and orwise.

Kamala Harris was sworn in last week as first female Vice President of United States. Sarah Thomas will be first woman to be on a Super Bowl officiating crew when she works Tampa Bay-Kansas City game in Tampa next month. Sarah Fuller me helines this past college football season as a kicker for Vanderbilt.

"I wish my daughter was here to see this," Schroeder said.