Lifestyle Sports5 Women in The NBA Making History Off the Court Essence GantMarch 11, 2015March 12, 2015 0 (Image:wnba.com) (Image: assets.makers.com) Violet Palmer Violet Palmer made history as the National Basketball Association’s first woman referee in 1997. In 2006, she made history again as the first woman to officiate a playoff game. 1 2 3 4 5