Tibbetts, furious: Expulsion and criticism of the refereeing after Mercury’s defeat

Nate Tibbetts, Mercury Coach, Ejected in WNBA Finals

Phoenix Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts found himself in an unusual situation during Game 4 of the WNBA Finals. He was ejected from the game after receiving two technical fouls, an unprecedented event for a coach in Finals history. Tibbetts, visibly disconcerted, received the first technical foul for protesting a referee’s decision. According to team manager Roy Gulbeyan, Tibbetts shouted “That’s terrible” after a foul was called on player Monique Akoa Makani. Then, he approached the official and repeated the phrase, which earned him the second technical and automatic ejection.

“For me, it’s just embarrassing. I feel bad for being ejected. I’ve been in this game a long time. I think those are the weakest double technicals I’ve ever seen. I didn’t even know I’d been called for the second one, to be completely honest. I just don’t understand it.”

Nate Tibbetts

In addition to Tibbetts, players Kahleah Copper and DeWanna Bonner also received technical fouls during the fourth quarter. Tibbetts pointed out the difference in free throws between Mercury and Aces in Game 4, where Phoenix attempted 19 free throws compared to Las Vegas’s 35. The coach highlighted the difficulty of competing when a player, like A’ja Wilson, shoots so many free throws.

Despite the controversial refereeing, the Mercury did not attribute the defeat to the referees’ performance, but to other factors such as the 18 turnovers they conceded, which resulted in 26 points for the opposing team.

The team managed to reduce a 20-point deficit to just six, which, according to Copper, is a reflection of the team’s season. “When you talk about Mercury basketball, we never give up. We give it our all and we can handle whatever is thrown at us,” he stated.