This year, the WNBA presented its fans with numerous surprises. When the Phoenix Mercury eliminated the Minnesota Lynx in the semis, many presumed they would be a tough opponent to beat. Unfortunately, as they faced off against the Las Vegas Aces, things soon went downhill. Ultimately, it was A’ja Wilson’s finals MVP performance that led the Aces to a clean sweep. And now, with the finals coming as a bitter pill to swallow, head coach Nate Tibbetts has lashed out at the officiating.
The Aces completely outplayed the Mercury. With the finals being a best-of-seven series, Las Vegas sealed the decision in Game 4 with a 4-0 sweep. And if that was not enough, Tibbetts is now complaining about his ejection.
Nate Tibbetts Finds Game 4 Officiating ‘Weak’
Now, the frustrations surrounding the quality of officiating in the WNBA this year have been significant. Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham has openly called out the WNBA for improving its officiating standards. And this was seemingly the case once again in the finals, too. As Game 4 began, officials issued two technical fouls to the Mercury head coach and ejected him in the third quarter. Tibbetts looked frustrated and shocked as the incident unfolded. And now, the Mercury head coach made no attempt to sugarcoat his words.
“It’s embarrassing. I feel bad that I was tossed. I’ve been around this game a long time, I think it’s one of the weakest double technicals ever. I didn’t even know that I got the second one, to be completely honest.I’d love to hear their call. But yeah, it was weak,” said Tibbetts.
Nate Tibbetts said it was “bullsh—“ that he got ejected. He said it was one of the “weakest” double technicals he’s ever seen. He added that he did not get an explanation as to why he was ejected, though, he said he deserved a first technical. But a second? He said was “weak” pic.twitter.com/0i6qnjJ94z
— Ben Pickman (@benpickman) October 11, 2025
Tibbetts also called the entire incident “bulls**t.” Meanwhile, this was not the only instance of the Mercury head coach expressing his discontent over the officiating. He also pointed fingers at the officials after Game 3.
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Nate Tibbetts Lashed Out At The Officials After Losing Game 3 Of The Finals
Most WNBA fans will remember Game 3 of the finals for Wilson’s last-second winner. However, for Tibbetts and his team, there is a different perspective. Looking at the game, it was evident that the Mercury had applied enough pressure on the Aces. And they almost got out of the game with a win. In the fourth quarter, Phoenix had a 29-14 burst, which might have won them the game. However, as per the 48-year-old, there were certain calls that did not go their way. Tibbetts highlighted an instance where officials failed to call a foul on Mercury star Alyssa Thomas.
“Yeah, I mean, we are competitive group, we are physical. I feel like AT got downhill getting into the paint quite a few times and didn’t get rewarded. But unfortunately, this is what it is. You’d love to have consistency (with officiating), but that’s not always the case,” Tibbetts told reporters.
It is evident that the officiating woes have continued to plague teams. And as the season comes to an end, fans will be eager to see how the league improves in the same way in the future.