ALISO VIEJO, Calif. - The California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) has named Violet Palmer as its new Coordinator of Officials for women's basketball.
 
Palmer played in the CCAA from 1982-86 and earned two National Championships (1985 and 1986), three regional titles, and four CCAA regular-season championships. She finished her career in the top 10 in conference history in steals and was inducted into the CCAA Hall of Fame in 2023.
 
The Compton native carried her love for the game beyond her collegiate years and became the first woman to officiate in the National Basketball Association (NBA) or any major professional sport in the United States. Palmer made history as the first female referee on Oct. 31, 1997, when she officiated the NBA season opener between the Vancouver Grizzlies and the Dallas Mavericks.
 
She officiated in the WNBA during its inaugural year and worked the WNBA Finals multiple times. She won the Naismith Award for Official of the Year in 1999 and officiated the 2014 NBA All-Star Game. She was also the first female to officiate an NBA playoff game (2006). Palmer retired in 2016 after officiating 919 NBA games and was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame.
 
"We are excited to welcome Violet Palmer as the CCAA Women's Basketball Coordinator of Officials," said CCAA commissioner Allen Hardison. "Violet is one of the most well-respected officials in NBA and WNBA history, and her experience as an officials coordinator at the NCAA level makes her a perfect fit for the CCAA."
 
Although her time on the court came to an end, Palmer has continued to give back to the sport at the collegiate level. She currently serves as the women's basketball Coordinator of Officials for the Pac-12, WCC, WAC, Big Sky, and Big West conferences.
 
Palmer takes the baton from longtime Women's Basketball Coordinator of Officials Kathleen McGlynn.
 
"I also want to thank Kathleen McGlynn for elevating our Women's Basketball Officials program to new heights," said Hardison. "It has been a privilege working with her and I am forever grateful for how she moved CCAA Women's Basketball forward."