Is Nate Tibbetts Coach Of The Year?

The Phoenix Mercury are fighting for a championship, and their head coach Nate Tibbetts is leading the way.

Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts talks to his players during the first quarter against the Las Vegas Aces at PHX Arena Jun 29, 2025. / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Phoenix Mercury are locked in on their goal. The Mercury are one of the top teams in the WNBA, and after the New York Liberty's loss to the Seattle Storm, Phoenix took over second place.

The Mercury and Liberty have the same record, but Phoenix has a better record in their last 10 games. They have a record of 7-3, and the Liberty are 4-6 in their last 10. Phoenix also has a slightly better record on the road, as they are 5-3 in away games. New York is 5-4 on the road.

Phoenix continues to climb, and with the way they are playing this season, there is chance some of their players are included in award races. Their head coach could be in the mix as well.

Nate Tibbetts is leading the way for the Mercury. In his second year with the team, Phoenix looks like a contending team. In his first year, Tibbetts lead the Mercury to a 19-21 season. His team reached the playoffs, but they were knocked out in the first round. This year is a complete turnaround.

Tibbetts brings a wealth of experience. He was an assistant coach at the collegiate level, and he spent time as an assistant in the NBA G-League before going to the NBA. He was on the Cleveland Cavaliers' staff before spending time with the Portland Trail Blazers and the Orlando Magic.

Before the start of the 2024 WNBA season, he became the head coach of the Mercury. His deal made him the highest-paid WNBA head coach.

The Mercury went 9-31 in their 2023, and they had two coaches. Vanessa Nygaard was the coach at the start of the season, but she was later fired. Nikki Blue took over as their interim head coach. Adding Tibbetts was a chance to shake things up, and the Mercury have taken a step in the right direction under him.

The Coach of the Year race could be close. The Minnesota Lynx are the top team in the league, and Cheryl Reeve may be on the verge of her fifth Coach of the Year honor. Her most recent win was last season, when the Lynx went 30-10. Sandy Brondello will be in the conversation, as New York has another exceptional year.

There are other candidates to watch out for such as Seattle Storm's Noelle Quinn and Atlanta Dream's Karl Smesko. However, Tibbetts has a great shot. If the Mercury keep winning, and if they potentially take the top spot from Minnesota, there is a strong chance Tibbetts will be the frontrunner.

The Mercury have had not a head coach win Coach of the Year since 2014. Brondello won the award that year, and Phoenix ended up winning the championship. It will be interesting to see if Tibbetts has the same fate.

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