From the tense CBA negotiation environment dating back to All-Star Weekend to the ongoing issues with injuries and officiating, the WNBA has been dramatic this season. Coaches have repeatedly voiced their frustrations with officiating after nearly every game, regardless of the outcome. Yet amid the growing unrest, Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts had stayed away from the controversy for a long time. Now, with the Mercury’s championship hopes hanging by a thread, Tibbetts sounds contradictory!

Now, with the Mercury down 3-0 and a dark cloud over the status of Satou Sabally for Game 4, Nate Tibbetts has finally joined the coaches in the criticism of WNBA referees. Although his comments might have echoed the sentiment around the league, some fans and analysts have pointed out a concerning trend regarding this. Discussing the same on her Courtside Club podcast, Rachel DeMita said, “Now, a clip from Nate Tibbetts is going viral right now, and it’s actually so funny where he seems to be complaining about the referees.”

But DeMita was quick to recall that, “if you remember, Nate Tibbetts is somebody in the last series against the Minnesota Lynx. He was somebody who said we just get to work. We don’t want to say anything about the referees. But they were winning that series. Now that the tables have kind of turned, Nate Tibbetts is saying, ‘You’d love to have consistency with officiating, but that’s not always the case’.“

“We haven’t talked about the officiating in all the playoffs. We just play and we’re worried about us.” These were Nate Tibbetts’ comments after Game 3 of the semifinals against the Minnesota Lynx. To recap, this is the same game where Napheesa Collier tore ligaments in her ankle and Cheryl Reeve was ejected and later suspended for a game. Compared to now, the circumstances heavily favored the Mercury. They were 2-1 up in the series. And the fans have taken note of this concerning trend regarding Nate’s comments.

With the Phoenix HC calling out the refs when his team is down, some may even try to justify Cathy Engelbert’s revelation by Napheesa Collier. In her exit interview, Collier had revealed that when she asked Cathy how she planned to address the refereeing issues, she responded, “Only the losers complain about the referees.”

While the league is full of coaches who have been consistent with the complaints about the officiating issues, Nate Tibbetts’ concerning trend may give some more excuses to people who don’t want to address these issues. Whether the officiating issues get addressed in the offseason or not is a conversation for the future. For now, both Nate Tibbetts and the Phoenix Mercury would be racking their brains to stop the Las Vegas Aces from sweeping them in the 2025 WNBA Finals. It gets harder because Satou Sabally has been ruled out for Game 4.

Can Nate Tibbetts lead the Phoenix Mercury to a comeback without Satou Sabally?

With 4:26 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Phoenix Mercury fans held their collective breaths. Sure, the team was down by 10 and was facing the prospect of going down 3-0. But even more importantly, Satou Sabally suffered a gruesome injury. As she missed a layup, she was pulled down by Jackie Young, and her head collided with Kierstan Bell’s knee. The injury looked bad in real time and even worse on replays. After almost 10 minutes of break, Satou was finally helped off the floor, and there were big doubts about her presence in Game 4.

After the game, it was confirmed that Satou is placed in the league’s concussion protocol and would miss Game 4. But now, the Phoenix Mercury are in a tough spot. Not only do they need to win Game 4 to avoid a clean sweep at home, but they have to do it without their best player in the series. So, how can Nate Tibbetts make a game plan to get the Mercury a win?

Well, it is almost certain that DeWanna Bonner will start in place of Satou. The one positive from the loss was DeWanna’s performance. She finally found her shooting boots and finished the game with a 25-point and 10-rebound double-double. Phoenix Mercury needs her to continue, or even increase, her output. Nate Tibbetts might also include Kalani Brown in the rotation.

Till now, she has only appeared in two postseason games. But her presence will be crucial to have a defensive presence in the paint. As always, the Mercury would need Alyssa Thomas to score more aggressively as well. It will surely be a very tall ask, but it is now-or-never time for the Phoenix Mercury. Will they avoid the sweep?