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
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6939697.1719286227!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Top Cats: Panthers win their 1st Stanley Cup, top Oilers 2-1 in Game 7
The Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup champions for the first time in franchise history, defeating the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Oilers' McDavid wins Conn Smythe Trophy after Game 7 loss
Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid has been awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the NHL playoffs after an incredible post-season that finished just short of a Stanley Cup.
Votes in Toronto byelection counting very slowly, Liberals narrowly ahead of Tories
Conservative candidate Don Stewart remained hopeful late Monday despite trailing his Liberal opponent in the Toronto-St. Paul's byelection where results were extremely slow to come in.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will plead guilty in deal with U.S. that will allow him to walk free
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will plead guilty to a felony charge in a deal with the U.S. Justice Department that will allow him to walk free and resolve a long-running legal saga that spanned multiple continents and centred on the publication of a trove of classified documents.
Canada's population forecast to reach 63 million, as people over 85 set to triple
New projections by Statistics Canada suggest the nation's population could reach 63 million by 2073.
opinion Princess Anne's enduring popularity: her equestrian excellence, Canadian connections and an escaped kidnapping attempt
In light of the news that Princess Anne's trip this week to Canada was cancelled because of an injury, royal commentator Afua Hagan looks at the princess's contributions as a royal figure that extend far beyond traditional ceremonials.
14-year-old boy facing 2 counts of first-degree murder in connection with Rexdale shooting investigation
A 14-year-old boy has been charged in connection with a “mass shooting” outside a school in Etobicoke earlier this month that took the lives of two men and wounded three others, police say.
Sask. speaker officially resigns from Sask. Party caucus
Speaker Randy Weekes officially tendered his resignation from the Saskatchewan Party Government Caucus – following an extended saga that saw Weekes accuse government MLAs of harassment.
Teen girl pleads guilty to manslaughter in death of Toronto homeless man
A fourth teen accused in the fatal stabbing of a Toronto homeless man has pleaded guilty.