Cal Poly Pomona Athletics

Violet Palmer | Women's Basketball | 1982-86
 
A true pioneer in today's sports world, Violet Palmer was the starting point guard for Hall of Fame head coach Darlene May for two of the five NCAA Division II National Championships won by the CPP women's basketball program in 1984-85 and 1985-86, and she is currently tenth all-time in program history in steals with 165 in her career.
 
Palmer continued to make a name for herself beyond graduation from CPP, becoming the first woman to officiate in the NBA and/or in any major professional sport in the United States in 1997 after spending time in the collegiate ranks, working five NCAA Women's Final Four games and two NCAA Women's National Championship games.  She also officiated in the inaugural season of the WNBA (1997) and worked the WNBA finals that year.  In 1999, Palmer won the Naismith Award for Official of the Year, the highest award an official can receive in collegiate basketball.  In 2006, became first woman to officiate a NBA postseason game between Indiana and New Jersey, going on to officiate nine NBA postseason games in six different seasons.  She also officiated the 2014 NBA All-Star Game.  Now retired from the profession, Palmer has coordinated women's basketball officials for the Pac-12, West Coast Conference and the Western Athletic Conference since 2009.

Click HERE to read more about Palmer, who was also Cal Poly Pomona Alumni Association's Distinguished Alumni Award winner in 2016.