The Phoenix Mercury came close to making the series interesting once again. The team had its strong fourth-quarter run, energizing the fans, but the Aces had the final say during the closing seconds of the game. Nate Tibbetts was on the sidelines keeping his hands on his waist and left with no words but to praise the ‘efforts’.
During Game 1, Nate Tibbetts cracked down the moment, which was game-changing for the Aces, and now the side experienced another game-changing shot, which might just cost them the championship.
Nate Tibbetts Talks About Game 3 Loss
The Mercury HC was a strong candidate for the Coach of the Year award after guiding the Mercury team to a fourth-place finish. Balancing the star power, he put the former champions back on the map and made them title contenders. But Serie against the Aces made them look vulnerable to many aspects of the game, and with the clean sweep in sight, Tibbetts looks to take one game at a time.
“I don’t know how many teams have come down from 0-3. Not many, right? I’m not gonna sugarcoat that. We got a tough road ahead, but we gotta take it one game at a time. Like I said, this group has been a group that has continued to compete at a high level. We’re going to expect that we’re in front of our fans. We’ve got a certain level of pride that we’re going to continue to keep fighting,” Tibbetts said in a press conference.
Nate Tibbetts was blunt when @alexaphilippou asked about being down 0-3.
— Hayden Cilley (@HaydenCilley) October 9, 2025
“I don’t know how many teams have come down from 0-3, not many.” pic.twitter.com/GLCRYMlpka
In the best-of-seven series, no team has come back from a 3-0 deficit yet in the WNBA. With that in mind and the form of the Las Vegas Aces, the Mercury head coach has a massive task ahead of him. Coach Nate Tibbetts channeled confidence in Alyssa Thomas despite the recent foul surge and might rely on the 33-year-old forward again to win games.
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Tibbetts already lauded Alyssa Thomas and Co. for their regular-season performances, working their way out of the games in the fourth quarter. But despite their efforts in Game 3, A’ja Wilson’s game-winner proved decisive, which opened up a few gaps in their strategy.
Nate Tibbetts Needs To Work On Defensive End
The Mercury squad achieved success in the wake of its defensive solidity and stout front line. They were unable to sustain the paint dominance against A’ja Wilson and Co. Although the Storm and Fever squad was able to hold Becky Hammon’s squad under 85 points in the majority of the games – the games which they went on to win, the Mercury yielded 90+ in every one of the three meetings.
Jackie Young and Wilson scored 60 points together in Game 2, while the bench also outscored the Mercury bench, further pointing out lapses on defense in the Mercury lineup.
Offensively, the Mercury did not do badly, scoring in the vicinity of the 80-point mark, their average in the postseason. Kahleah copper struggled somewhat on offense, but Satou Sabally did a great job for the team. With Sabally’s injury now, Tibbetts must get his defense correct in Game 4 before it becomes their season finale.