▁She ▁played ▁field ▁hockey ▁while ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Pitts burgh ▁and ▁graduated ▁with ▁an ▁engineer ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 . ▁ ▁Career ▁Kant ner ▁began ▁ref ere eing ▁while ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Pitts burgh . ▁After ▁university , ▁she ▁worked ▁in ▁sales ▁engineering . ▁Kant ner ▁left ▁engineering ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁when ▁she ▁was ▁h ired ▁as ▁an ▁NCAA ▁Division ▁I ▁official . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁Kant ner ▁was ▁h ired ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁women ▁ref ere es ▁in ▁the ▁National ▁Basketball ▁Association ▁alongside ▁V io let ▁Pal mer . ▁Her ▁first ▁regular ▁season ▁game ▁as ▁an ▁NBA ▁ref eree ▁was ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁during ▁a ▁match ▁between ▁the ▁Atlanta ▁Haw ks ▁and ▁the ▁Philadelphia ▁ 7 6 ers . ▁During ▁her ▁time ▁with ▁the ▁NBA , ▁she ▁was ▁the ▁Super visor ▁of ▁Official s ▁for ▁the ▁Women ' s ▁National ▁Basketball ▁Association ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁▁ ▁Kant ner ▁remained ▁with ▁the ▁NBA ▁until ▁she ▁was ▁fired ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁After ▁leaving ▁the ▁NBA , ▁she ▁continued ▁to ▁work ▁in ▁the ▁W N BA ▁as ▁the ▁Director ▁of ▁Ref eree ▁Development ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁and ▁was ▁renamed ▁Super visor ▁of ▁Official s ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 . ▁With ▁the ▁NCAA , ▁Kant ner ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁ref eree