The Phoenix Mercury are trying to keep their season alive in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals against the Las Vegas Aces, and they’re going to have to do so without their head coach. Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts was ejected during the third quarter of Game 4 after expressing frustration with the officiating. Tibbetts approached one of the officials verbally upset, and was promptly given two technicals in succession triggering an automatic ejection.
Nate Tibbetts being ejected in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals sparked a rally from the Mercury who were down close to 20 points against the Aces earlier in the game. As of publication, the Mercury had pulled to within single digits in the fourth quarter as they were facing elimination. The Mercury faced a 0-3 deficit coming into Friday’s game.
Even with the improbability of the Mercury coming back and winning the Finals, it’s still been a successful season for the team in the second year of the Tibbetts era. The Mercury finished with a top four seed in the standings and earned homecourt advantage in the opening round of the playoffs. They defeated the New York Liberty in three games, then dispatched the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA Semifinals.
Tibbetts was hired as head coach last season after spending the past 12 years as an assistant coach in the NBA. He was most recently an assistant with the Orlando Magic from 2021-2023. In his first year as head coach of the Mercury, he guided the team to a 19-21 record and an opening round elimination by the Lynx.
