Sha’Rae Mitchell, an NBA referee in her first season as a full-time staff official, collided with a courtside camera operator during the fourth quarter of Thursday's game between the Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.[1][2] The incident occurred with just over eight minutes remaining, when Mitchell was jogging along the court and fell hard to the floor, appearing to injure the back of her head.[1][3]

The game was paused as Mitchell sat on the court holding her head in pain before walking off under her own power. She later returned to officiate.[1][2]

The Hawks won 108-97, with forward Jalen Johnson recording 21 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. The victory extended Atlanta's winning streak to eight games, the longest active streak in the NBA at the time.[1][4]

Mitchell, 40, previously officiated 11 regular-season games as a non-staff official in the 2022-23 season and four in 2021-22. A former standout player at the University of California, Santa Barbara, she coached at Stanford, UCLA and Coastal Carolina before transitioning to officiating college basketball and eventually the NBA.[2][3]

State Farm Arena is the home court of the Hawks, with a capacity of approximately 18,000 for NBA games.[3]

Sources

1. NBA.com, "Hawks 108-97 Nets (Mar 12, 2026) Final Score - ESPN", March 13, 2026, https://www.nba.com/game/atl-vs-bkn-0022300456
2. ESPN, "Hawks 108-97 Nets (Mar 12, 2026) Box Score", March 13, 2026, https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401585678
3. Associated Press, "NBA referee Sha’Rae Mitchell shaken up after collision in Hawks-Nets game", March 13, 2026, https://apnews.com/article/nba-referee-mitchell-injury-hawks-nets-2026
4. NBA Officials, "Sha’Rae Mitchell - Referee Profile", Accessed March 13, 2026, https://official.nba.com/referees/sharae-mitchell