Nate Tibbetts was ejected for saying, ‘That’s f****** terrible’ to the referees. After a no-call on one end, Tibbetts exploded right in the official’s face when a reach-in foul was called on Monique Akoa Makani seconds later. Tibbetts went on a rant after the game, calling his ejection “bull s***”. That wasn’t the only ire for the Mercury, as Alyssa Thomas injured her shoulder due to an illegal screen, which wasn’t upgraded to a flagrant.

Kahleah Copper fouled out in this game and had complained before the conclusion. “I think the refs aren’t doing a good job tonight. I’m sorry,” Copper said between the third and fourth quarters. After the game, Alyssa Thomas summed it up in a single word of what the players want as a whole. “Yeah, I mean, I think that’s the main message everyone’s been saying all year long is: ‘consistency.’” Thomas said.

If you rewatch the games, you’ll notice the same foul might go uncalled at one moment and be whistled the next. Take the moving screen that Thomas was hit with, for example. It could have been ignored if not for Thomas’ injury. This call is consistent with every protest from the players or the coaches. Thomas herself has been involved in some questionable calls, namely the one involving Napheesa Collier in the semifinals. 

Thomas ran through Collier’s leg, which was ‘incidental contact’ but should have been called according to the rule book. Collier suffered a Grade 2 tear of three ligaments in her left ankle and a muscle in her shin, according to ESPN. So calls are going for and against everyone as a result of the poor refereeing. However, Thomas refused to make the refereeing an excuse for their loss. “I think we’ve been asking for that for years, but it is what it is. It’s unfortunate to get to this stage, and you know, you don’t have it, but, it’s not the reason why you win or lose a game.” She said. 

Even with top-tier refereeing in this series, the Mercury were always going to struggle. “I would say the entirety of the playoffs is they were more reactive than they were proactive, and it worked for them in earlier rounds, but in this one it definitely did not.” Alicia Jay said on the ‘We Need To Talk’ podcast. 

The team has had stretches where they have let A’ja Wilson and Co. run circles around them without much resistance. In Game 3, Aces had 7 out of 9 open threes in the first half. In Game 1, Becky Hammon stopped the Mercury dead in their tracks with zone defense. They have been dwelling on that Game 1 ever since, the missed free throws from Alyssa Thomas. While their Finals performance wasn’t at the level they have been at, Alyssa Thomas shows why she will not give up until she getts the title. 

Alyssa Thomas’ Grit Refuses to Quit

Alyssa Thomas played through two labrum tears in each of her shoulders. The right shoulder injury sustained in the third quarter led everyone to believe she would not return to the court, or at least not immediately. But there she was on the court after the fourth quarter began. Despite the loss, Thomas clocked out with another triple-double at 17 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. Now Alyssa Thomas has lost two finals before this one: 2019, 2022. Instead of deflating, she has always been back hunting for the title.

“Listen, I wanted to win for our organization and our city. But more than that, I wanted to win for AT because I know how much she wears it on her sleeve,” Tibbetts said of Thomas postgame. “She just wants to win at the highest level.”

Her Finals averages read 15.7 points, 7.3 assists, and 8.3 rebounds. Thomas has yet to win a championship of any kind, from high school to the WNBA. She has been ringless everywhere despite elite numbers. “She has not won a championship yet. That’s her ultimate goal. That’s her drive. And I feel for her cause she takes so much pride in it.”, Tibbetts added. “There are some people that play the game because they’re good at it. Some play because they like it. And she loves it. She loves it. And I respect the h–l out of her for that.”

Yes, this is another setback for Thomas, one more final that might keep her up at night. But she has used this feeling as fuel in the past. At 33 years of age, she still has some time to get that desired ring before hanging up her boots. While it will be at Mercury or some other team, it is unknown, as she will enter the free agency market in 2026.