Tibbetts, furious: Ejection and referee criticism in Mercury’s defeat

Nate Tibbetts Ejected: A Historic Moment in the WNBA Finals

Phoenix Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts was ejected in the third quarter of Game 4 of the WNBA Finals against the Aces, marking a milestone in league history. Tibbetts, visibly disconcerted, received two consecutive technical fouls for protesting a referee’s decision, which resulted in his ejection. This makes him the first coach to be ejected in a Finals game.

For me, it’s embarrassing. I feel bad for having been ejected. I’ve been in this game a long time and I think it’s one of the weakest double technicals I’ve seen. I didn’t even know I’d received the second one, to be completely honest. I just don’t understand it.

Nate Tibbetts

The head of the officiating team, Roy Gulbeyan, explained that the first technical foul was given after Tibbetts shouted “That’s terrible” following a foul. Then, upon approaching the referee and repeating the phrase, he received the second technical foul and automatic ejection. In addition to Tibbetts, players Kahleah Copper and DeWanna Bonner also received technicals during the final quarter. Tibbetts highlighted the disparity in free throws between the Mercury and the Aces, noting that A’ja Wilson, from the Aces, attempted as many free throws as her entire team.

Legend: Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts was ejected in Game 4, becoming the first coach in Finals history to be ejected.Despite the controversies, the Mercury did not attribute their defeat to the refereeing performance. The team identified their 18 turnovers and the 26 points conceded as the main problem. In Game 2 of the semi-finals against the Minnesota Lynx, the Mercury came back from a 20-point deficit to win. In Game 3 of that series, they repeated the feat after being down by 17. In Game 3 of the Finals, they found themselves down by 17 points again, but were unable to complete the comeback. The team managed to reduce the difference to six points after Tibbetts’s expulsion, demonstrating their fighting spirit. The Mercury once again demonstrated their resilience and unwavering determination.