Lauren Holtkamp

{{Short description|American basketball referee}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling

| image = Lauren Holtkamp (15316492703) (cropped).jpg

| image_size =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|11|24}}{{cite web | title=Holtkamp's Profile | work=basketball-reference.com | url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/referees/holtkla99r.html |accessdate=}}

| birth_place = Jefferson City, Missouri

| death_date =

| death_place =

| education =

| occupation = NBA referee

| title =

| spouse = {{marriage|Jonathan Sterling
|2017}}

| parents =

| children = 1

| nationality = {{USA}}

| website =

}}

Lauren Holtkamp (born November 24, 1980) is a former professional basketball referee who worked in the National Basketball Association (NBA), wearing number 7. Holtkamp became the third woman to be a full-time NBA referee.{{cite web | title=Former Lady Panther Lauren Holtkamp Featured In USA TODAY Story As NBA's Third Full-Time Female Referee | work=drurypanthers.com | url=http://drurypanthers.com/news/2014/10/1/WBB_1001145453.aspx |accessdate=}} Holtkamp also played college basketball at Drury University from 2000 to 2004.{{cite web | title=Former Drury basketball player Lauren Holtkamp finds calling as NBA referee | work=ncaa.com | url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-women/article/2014-10-02/former-drury-basketball-player-lauren-holtkamp-finds |accessdate=October 2, 2014}} Holtkamp previously refereed the last five NBA Development League seasons before becoming a full-time referee for the 2014–15 NBA season. Holtkamp officiated four seasons in the WNBA including the WNBA 2014 conference finals. Holtkamp graduated from Emory University with a Master of Divinity.{{cite web | title=Basketball – Five Minutes with Lauren Holtkamp Holtkamp's transition from D-League to NBA. | work=referee.com | url=http://www.referee.com/basketball-five-minutes-with-lauren-holtkamp/ | accessdate= | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306084625/http://www.referee.com/basketball-five-minutes-with-lauren-holtkamp/ | archive-date=2016-03-06 | url-status=dead }} She also graduated from Drury University with both a Master of Arts in Communication and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration.{{cite web | title=Biography of Lauren Holtkamp | work=nbra.net | url=http://www.nbra.net/nba-officials/referee-biographies/lauren-holtkamp-official-7/ | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310110620/http://www.nbra.net/nba-officials/referee-biographies/lauren-holtkamp-official-7/ | archivedate=2016-03-10 }} In June 2017, Holtkamp married NBA referee Jonathan Sterling.{{cite web | title=The 2017-2018 season marks a first for the NBA officials - the 1st season featuring a married couple: Lauren Holtkamp and Jonathan Sterling.| work=twitter.com | url=https://twitter.com/OfficialNBARefs/status/916383822471684096 |accessdate=}}{{cite web | title=Married NBA refs Lauren Holtkamp and Jonathan Sterling | work=usatoday.com | url=https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/sports/nba/2018/02/13/married-nba-refs-lauren-holtkamp-and-jonathan-sterling/110378130/ |accessdate=February 13, 2018}} In 2019, Holtkamp gave birth to their daughter.{{cite web | title=Married NBA refs working to make the right calls at home in Tampa | work=tampabay.com | url=https://www.tampabay.com/sports/2019/10/17/married-nba-refs-working-to-make-the-right-calls-at-home-in-tampa/ |accessdate=}}

On October 24, 2024, Holtkamp retired as an NBA referee, citing knee issues.{{cite web|title=NBA referee Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling announces retirement, citing knee issues| work=nba.com |url=https://www.nba.com/news/nba-referee-lauren-holtkamp-sterling-announces-retirement-knee-issues|access-date=October 25, 2024}}