Canadian Elite Basketball League celebrates all-female referee crew at Ottawa game
It was an historic moment for women in sports as a trio of Canadian women made up the first-ever all-women referee crew for Tuesday night's Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) game in Ottawa.
Montreal's MP Malo and Toronto's Christine Vuong and Fei Xiang called the shots on the hardwood court at the game between the Ottawa Blackjacks and the Montreal Alliance.
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
"I actually felt really good," said Malo. "It was like being on a cloud. For me, I was in the zone the whole time."
"I'm just so honoured to be a part of it," said Xiang. "The women that have paved the path—it doesn't have to be referees—it's coaches, players, table crew. They've done so much for everything that led up to this moment."
Xiang first got into basketball as a player and when things didn't pan out professionally she turned to officiating.
"Trying to spread the love of basketball and trying to stay involved in the game," she said.
All three are counted among the six of the CEBL's 54 referees, up from the four last season.
They're excited to see how representation in the game continues to move forward.
"It used to be, like, a handful of female referees, and now it's probably a quarter of refs," said Vuong.
Ottawa resident Frances Enns hopes to join them at the professional level soon.
"That's definitely something that I am striving for," said Enns, who grew up playing with the Gloucester Wolverines and has been refereeing since she was 14. "I was part of their junior referee program and when I was in high school, joined the local Ottawa board of approved basketball officials and the rest is history."
For those at TD Place Arena and those watching at home, it was a night of inspiration and the first of many more milestones to come.
"I feel like if we inspired a couple girls or many little girls or women out there that it's possible that, you be continue to be part of the game," said Malo. "Whether you coach, you referee, there's no limit."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump's Madison Square Garden event features crude and racist insults
Donald Trump took the stage Sunday night at New York’s Madison Square Garden to deliver his campaign's closing argument with the election nine days away after several of his allies used crude and racist insults toward U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris and other critics of the former president.
B.C. election results: Mail-in ballots heavily favour NDP, only absentee ballots left to count
The majority of mail-in ballots tallied this weekend for the final count in B.C.’s nail-bitingly close 2024 provincial election went to the NDP, increasing the party’s chances of clinching a third term.
Here's when you need to change your clock back
Millions of Canadians will notice their clocks turn back by one hour on Nov. 3, marking the end of daylight saving time this year.
New polls show Sask. NDP leading over Sask. Party ahead of election day
A pair of new pre-election polls indicate that the Saskatchewan NDP has a slight lead ahead of election day.
17-year-old charged for driving 188 km/h on Hwy. 417 in Ottawa
A 17-year-old Ottawa driver was caught speeding nearly 90 km/h over the speed limit on Highway 417.
Hollywood star Victor Garber gets emotional after surprise meeting with his former teacher in London, Ont.
Victor Garber got teary-eyed when he walked into a brunch in his honour Sunday in London, Ont.
Another bumpy week ahead as Trudeau faces deadlines from Liberal MPs, Bloc
Another week, another raft of imminent challenges to Justin Trudeau's leadership of both the country and the Liberal Party.
He lost a finger and survived a kidnapping. Then, this climber took on a 9,000-foot 'death-trap'
With jaw-dropping big wall ascents and a life packed with adrenaline and adventure, climber Tommy Caldwell has had a career worthy of – and captured by – a feature film.
How to make sure your used clothes go to the right place – and not to organized crime
Giving away used clothes for a second life feels like an act of charity – and it often is. But it’s become more complicated. A W5 investigation has discovered allegations that organized crime players are muscling in on charities to access their donation bins.