Back in 2023, the hiring of coach Nate Tibbetts came under fire by many who pointed to diversity concerns and his total lack of experience coaching in the women’s game. Sure, he had years logged in as an NBA assistant, but the W felt like a whole different ball game. Still, credit where it’s due…he did flip the Phoenix Mercury’s nightmare 9-31 season into a way more respectable 19-21. But one decent season isn’t enough to shut the critics up. And after the Mercury’s rocky preseason, folks are back at it, wondering if Tibbetts might just be in over his head.

So, after the Mercury’s 2024 season ended with a back-to-back heartbreak in Minnesota during the first round of the playoffs, there was Tibbetts at the podium, facing questions about the future of the team. And it wasn’t just about next season, it was about the end of an era.

But thankfully, the Valley welcomes two major names—Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally. Thomas has been a walking triple-double threat for three years straight. We’re talking 10.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 7.9 assists in 2024. Then there’s Sabally, the 6’4 unicorn who can stretch the floor, defend multiple positions, and fit into just about any system. Basically, everything Tibbetts could ask for.

Add Kahleah Copper to the mix, andyou’ve got a new Big Three in Phoenix. Copper’s coming off the best year of her career, and word on the street is her bond with Tibbetts has only gotten stronger. She’s his floor general now, the one who gets his vision rolling when things get tight. Sounds promising, right?

Well, let’s pump the brakes.

While training camp at the Mountain America Performance Center was all about smiles, high fives, and solid vibes, that chemistry didn’t quite translate once the games started. The Mercury is entering the regular season 0-2, and their preseason finale is where things really went south.

First up, they narrowly lost to the Aces—85-84. But then came Sunday. That Valkyries matchup was a disaster in slow motion. After building a 15-point lead, the Mercury completely unraveled. Phoenix shot just 40.6% from the field and coughed up 18 turnovers. The Valkyries turned that sloppiness into 32 points.

But here’s what really set WNBA Twitter off—neither Sabally, who received her own fair share of criticism, nor Thomas saw the floor in the fourth quarter. Sure, turnovers played a huge part in the loss, but Tibbetts’ late-game decision-making is where the pitchforks came out. Now, people are starting to ask the tough questions again. Is Tibbetts the right guy to lead this fresh-faced Mercury squad?

Fans want Nate Tibbetts gone before the season’s even begun

Mercury fans are already running outta patience with head coach Nate Tibbetts and the regular season hasn’t even started yet. One fan flat out said, “the Phoenix Mercury needs a new coach ASAP.”  From the jump, folks were skeptical about his fit. He became the highest-paid coach in WNBA history, yes, higher than Becky Hammon, without any prior experience coaching women’s basketball.  That’s a wild leap, especially when you had someone like interim coach Nikki Blue holding the team together during tough times. Still, GM Nick U’Ren stood by his decision, brushing off the noise and putting his trust in Tibbetts.

That trust is wearing real thin with fans. Another chimed in with a brutal, “Yeah he’s actually a-s bruh. Lmaooo,” and while the language might be harsh, they’ve got receipts. When the Valkyries went on a 22-8 run to close the third, and Phoenix just couldn’t claw back. The fourth quarter started with Leite’s and-one three, Julie Vanloo added a layup, and momentum was gone. Chloe Bibby hit Golden State’s 13th three of the game right when Phoenix tried to respond. And yes, late-game decision-making has been a mess. 

Tibbetts insists on staying aggressive in crunch time, even when common sense says slow it down. Remember the Aces game? With a lead and just 33 seconds left, he told them to keep attacking instead of playing clock-smart ball. Then came another fan pointing out “he been a-s since last season,” dragging up his whole “positionless basketball” experiment. 

Sure, it sounds cool in theory, but the W’s been doing just fine for decades without needing a full-on redesign. Is this the future or just Nate overcomplicating things? That’s the question. And then someone else jumped in saying “his game plan is just to shoot threes and run,” and they’re not wrong either. Under Tibbetts, the Mercury have ramped up their three-point attempts big time. Some nights that works, other nights…not so much.

Like that 1-for-27 disaster against the Sun. That 47-point total was the lowest by any team since 2015. Still, one voice brought some perspective, saying “we judging preseason?” Fair point. Let’s not forget Kahleah Copper wasn’t even on the floor. So maybe we all take a breath and wait till the regular season opener, especially since it’s gonna be against Skylar Diggins and Seattle Storm.