Mercury's Tibbetts Has Place In Coach Of The Year Race

Nate Tibbetts led the Phoenix Mercury to the WNBA Finals, and come next season, he may be one of the leading candidates in the Coach of the Year race.

Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts yells out to his team from the sidelines as they play the New York Liberty at PHX Arena on Aug 30, 2025, in Phoenix. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2025 Coach of the Year race featured some worthy candidates, and in the end, Natalie Nakase won. Nakase was an assistant coach for the Las Vegas Aces before she was named the head coach of the Golden State Valkyries.

In her first year with the team, she led them to the playoffs. The Valkyries finished the season with a record of 23-21, and they faced the Minnesota Lynx in the first round. They lost to the Lynx, but they showed that they are to keep an eye on.

Nakase won the award, as she had 53 points. The most points a coach could have in this race was 72.

Sep 14, 2025; College Park, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Dream head coach Karl Smesko on the sideline against the Indiana Fever in the second quarter during game one of round one for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Gateway Center Arena at College Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Karl Smesko was second in the race, as she earned 15 points. He did a great job in his first season, as the Atlanta Dream finished the year with a record of 30-14. Tanisha Wright was their head coach before that, and in her last season with them, the Dream finished 15-25. They reached the playoffs, but they were knocked out by the New York Liberty.

There were other coaches involved in the Coach of the Year race, as Becky Hammon and Cheryl Reeve were tied for third.

Sep 21, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts looks on against the Minnesota Lynx in the second half during game one of the second round for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Nate Tibbetts helps Phoenix turn things around

Another coach who deserved nods in this race was Nate Tibbetts. This year was Tibbetts' second season as the head coach of the Phoenix Mercury. They hired him before the 2024 season after finishing 2023 with a record of 9-31.

Tibbetts' first season was a success, as the Mercury were 19-21. They reached the playoffs, but they were eliminated by the Minnesota Lynx.

The following year, Tibbetts' team finished with a record 27-17. The Mercury were third in the Western Conference, and they were fourth in the league overall. Their 27 wins were the most they have won since the 2014 season. Phoenix had an incredible season that year, as it finished with a record of 29-5.

Sep 6, 2025; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts watches from the sideline as they take on the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

On top of Phoenix's successful regular season, Tibbetts led the team on a deep playoff run. They took down the New York Liberty and the Lynx before running into the Las Vegas Aces. Phoenix's series against Las Vegas was the franchise's sixth Finals appearance.

While the Mercury lost that series, they are headed in the right direction. Tibbetts has a talented team, and there is a strong chance he leads them to a championship.

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