That blowout win on opening night over the defending champions, the Las Vegas Aces, feels like a long time ago. Since then, Phoenix has gone on a downward spiral, managing just one win in its next five games. The latest loss came against the LA Sparks in a game that turned into a foul-counting contest. But coach Nate Tibbetts doesn’t believe that was the decisive factor.

“It’s been inconsistent from night to night, and that happens early in the year. Same thing with our play,” Tibbetts said in the press conference. “We can’t point fingers at things like that. We’ve got to be better ourselves.”

Tibbetts’ comments come despite officiating being under the microscope. In 2026, there has been a concerning trend in these first few games, involving officials not hesitating to call frequent fouls. NY Liberty player Breanna Stewart already raised questions after the Washington Mystics game, stating that frequent fouling disrupts the flow of the game.

“It disrupts everyone’s flow, not just obviously talking about my team,” Stewart had said in a press conference. Phoenix Mercury’s 88-97 loss to LA was exactly like that.

A total of 49 fouls were called in the game, with the Mercury committing 24 and the Sparks 25. But for Nate Tibbetts, those numbers were never going to be an excuse, even if they disrupted the ‘flow of the game’.

The Mercury simply wasn’t good enough on the night. While the Mercury did receive strong individual performances from their veterans, the overall team display fell short. Alyssa Thomas led the way with 23 points, seven assists, and seven rebounds, while Kahleah Copper added 22 points of her own. But Phoenix struggled to move the ball freely, and its 13 turnovers only made matters worse. Offensively, the Mercury also failed to capitalize on the fouls committed by the Sparks, missing seven free throws.

The LA Sparks, meanwhile, converted 91% of their opportunities from the line, going 20-of-22 on free throws. 

Phoenix actually started the game well, staying within touching distance of the LA Sparks throughout the first quarter behind strong scoring bursts from Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas. The Sparks led just 25-24 at the end of the opening quarter.

But the game completely shifted in the second. Phoenix managed only 19 points while allowing the Sparks to put up 35, creating a gap they failed to close. Tibbetts’ team did outscore LA in the second half, but the damage was already done. 

Even without the constant fouls and stoppages, the Mercury likely still would have lost.

Nate Tibbetts Remains Hopeful Despite His Team’s Defensive Struggles

After their loss to the Toronto Tempo on Tuesday, Alyssa Thomas was critical about the Mercury’s defense, saying, “I think we’re nowhere near where we need to be defensively. It’s gonna be a long season if we don’t get it together on the defensive end.”

The Sparks game proved her right. 

Allowing a 35-point quarter, with Nneka Ogwumike scoring 10 points on her own, is never a good look defensively, especially when the Sparks were also allowed to shoot 48% from the field.

This isn’t a one-off issue either. The Mercury have now allowed 85+ points four times this season and have lost all four of those games. Tibbetts, however, remains hopeful that his team can improve in the upcoming games.

“I think that you have a standard that you just want to keep,” he said after the Sparks loss. “And we’re not there yet. Right now, some people are getting opportunities because of injuries or because people aren’t here yet. We’re gonna find a group that competes, and I really like this group.”

Currently, the team is missing players like Monique Akoa Makani and Sami Whitcomb. With their return to the team’s rotation, the Phoenix Mercury’s defense will receive some support. But until then, the existing players in the rotation will have to shoulder this responsibility.

Nate Tibbetts’ team is 7th in the Western Conference division. The next game is on May 24 against the Atlanta Dream at the Gateway Center.