OFFICIAL CCAA RELEASE

The CCAA is proud to welcome seven new members into its prestigious Hall of Fame.
 
Tony Alfaro of Cal State Dominguez Hills, Karenee Demery of Stanislaus State, Kim Ford of Cal State San Bernardino, Sherri Howard of Cal State LA, JJ Jakovac of Chico State, Violet Palmer of Cal Poly Pomona, and Chrissy Stalf of Cal Poly Humboldt were all selected by the CCAA Hall of Fame committee to comprise the Class of 2023.
 
"I want to congratulate the 2023 CCAA Hall of Fame class," remarked CCAA Commissioner Mitch Cox. "Being selected for induction is a true honor, and it couldn't go to a more impressive group of former student-athletes. Those selected for induction certainly made their mark on their chosen field of play during their CCAA career, but also in their post-collegiate career,  including competing in the Olympics and professional sports. It is an amazing group that we honor this year, and the CCAA family celebrates this honor with them!"
 
The CCAA Hall of Fame was created in 2013-14 in conjunction with the celebration of the conference's 75th Anniversary. It now includes 41 members from 13 current and former member institutions. These individuals will be the seventh CCAA Hall of Fame class. The conference office will work with each inductee and their respective institution to find the time and a location to honor their induction. 

Violet Palmer, Cal Poly Pomona
Women's Basketball, 1982-86

Through hard work and dedication, Violet Palmer has ensured her name will stand in the basketball record books, both in the CCAA and the National Basketball Association (NBA).
 
Palmer played for Cal Poly Pomona from 1982-86 and helped build the Broncos into an NCAA Division II powerhouse. As the starting point guard, she led the Broncos to back-to-back National Championships (1985 and 1986), three regional titles, and four CCAA regular-season championships. She finished her career in the top 10 all-time in steals, and the Broncos went 107-20 (45-2 CCAA) in her four seasons.
 
The Compton native carried her love for the game beyond her collegiate years and became the first woman to officiate in the 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. Palmer became the first female to officiate an NBA playoff game (2006).
 
Palmer 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 retired in 2016, having officiated 919 NBA games.
 
Palmer has continued to give back to the sport at the collegiate level, where she serves as women's basketball Coordinator of Officials for the Pac-12, WCC, WAC, Big Sky, and Big West conferences. During her career, she worked five NCAA Women's Final Fours and two NCAA Women's National Championships.

The Cal Poly Pomona Alumni Association recognized her as a 2016 Distinguished Alumni, and she was inducted into the Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020. For her historic and far-reaching contributions to the game of basketball and her willingness to mentor and give back to the university, Palmer received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at Commencement last May. Now, she will be a part of the 2023 Class of the CCAA Hall of Fame.

To read more about the six other inductees to this year's CCAA Hall of Fame class, CLICK HERE.