Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts was controversially ejected from the WNBA Finals finale against the Las Vegas Aces.
The passion of Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts lived up to his team’s namesake, but it appears to have led to his controversial ousting from the WNBA Finals finale.
Tibbetts was shockingly ejected from Game 4 of his team’s series against the Las Vegas Aces, his departure enforced with 2:41 remaining in the third quarter. The second-year Phoenix boss was infuriated over a foul call against Monique Akoa Makani and voiced his displeasure to Gina Cross, who promptly called two technical fouls that led to his exit from what became a 96-87 triumph for the Aces—allowing them to secure both a sweep of the Mercury and their third WNBA championship in four seasons.
Controversial as the ousting may have been, crew chief Roy Gulbeyan stood by the decision in a pool report from Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports, explaining that Tibbetts was removed on two separate incidents in close proximity.
“After a foul was called on Makani, Coach Tibbetts came onto the floor and yelled, ‘That’s f***ing terrible,’” Gulbeyan said, per transcripts from the league. “After the first technical was assessed, Coach Tibbetts stepped in closer aggressively to the calling official and again yelled, ‘That’s f***ing terrible.’ At that point, a second technical was assessed, and he was ejected.”
Tibbetts appeared unaware that he had been ejected at first and expressed bewilderment when he was sent to the locker room. Associate head coach Kristi Toliver took over for the rest of the game upon his exit.
Kahleah Copper said that she didn’t get why head coach Nate Tibbetts was ejected. #WNBA #WNBAFinals pic.twitter.com/GlyxxsULAe
— Aya Abdeen (@ayabdeen) October 11, 2025
How Tibbetts’ Ejection and Player Technicals Impacted the Phoenix Mercury
The incident partly helped ignite one last gasp for Phoenix. Trailing by 14 after the third period, the Mercury scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter to narrow the gap to six. Las Vegas, however, regained control over the final seven-plus minutes to secure the title, partly aided by further technical charges against Phoenix.
DeWanna Bonner and Kahleah Copper each earned technicals for protesting calls during the fourth quarter, and the three subsequent singles earned through the infractions may have played a role in Vegas’ eventual fadeaway.
It perhaps marked a macabrely appropriate end to the WNBA season, one that has been marred by officiating questions. Tibbetts is far from the first head coach to miss time due to verbal attacks on officials; longtime Minnesota Lynx boss Cheryl Reeve was suspended for the finale of her semifinal set against Phoenix after taking issue with calls in the previous contest.
Tibbetts Reacts to Ejection: “I Didn’t Feel Like I Deserved It at All”
Tibbetts got one last shot in for good measure during his postgame comments after Game 4 against Las Vegas, calling his departure “weak, weak, weak,” according to Kendra Andrews of ESPN. He took further issue with an individual case of foul shots in the box score, noting that Phoenix’s 17-of-19 output at the foul line was perfectly duplicated by Aces star and series MVP A’ja Wilson. Vegas was 29-of-35 overall in the closeout victory.
Nate Tibbets just got a double tech.
— Meghan L. Hall (@ItsMeghanLHall) October 11, 2025
He had been ejected after arguing a call. pic.twitter.com/wqZuxkxhOb
“We were playing for our playoff lives. Most coaches, when they get tossed, you’re doing it on purpose. That wasn’t my intention at all. … I didn’t feel like I deserved it at all…It was bull ***,” Tibbetts said. “A’ja is a great player, but when someone is shooting that many free throws, it’s just tough. Obviously, we were frustrated. She shot as many free throws as our whole team. That’s tough to overcome. … Early in the playoffs, they let teams play a bit more. But tonight, that was not the case.”
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
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