Violet Palmer joined The Big West as the women’s basketball coordinator of officials
in June 2022, in preparation of the 2022-23 season.
Palmer brings an impressive pedigree as an official and administrator to the role. Palmer is best known as an officiating trailblazer as the first woman to referee an NBA game, in 1997. She went on to crew more than 900 regular-season NBA games as well as nine NBA Playoff contests and the 2014 NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans.
Also working at the highest levels of women’s basketball as an on-court official, Palmer officiated the inaugural season of the WNBA as well as five NCAA Women’s Final Fours and two championship games. She was named Naismith Award Women’s Official of the Year in 1999.
Even still while officiating in the NBA, Palmer began transitioning into administrative roles within the profession, serving as coordinator of officiating for multiple NCAA Division I women’s basketball conferences across the western United States. After hanging up the whistle in 2016, she also served as a manager of the NBA’s referee operations department. Palmer is the current women’s basketball coordinator of officials for the Pac-12, WCC, Big Sky, and WAC.
Palmer is responsible for recruiting and assigning officials for all women’s basketball games hosted by Big West institutions. She supervises, trains, mentors and evaluates the officials throughout The Big West to ensure the best officials are manning the courts across the conference.
A product of the Cal State system, Palmer was a two-time NCAA Division II national champion at Cal Poly Pomona where she was the starting point guard for the Broncos’ 1985 and ‘86 championship teams. After graduating in 1988 with a degree in recreational administration, Palmer served as the recreation director for the City of Los Angeles before embarking on her career as an official.
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In 2023, Palmer was honored as the NASO Gold Whistle Award winner. Created in 1988, the distinction is among the most coveted awards in the world of sports officiating. Designed to recognize the efforts of outstanding citizens who also happen to be sports officials, the Gold Whistle Award honors an individual or organization that has made significant contributions to the betterment of officiating.