Tibbetts: Ejection in closeout G4 'weak,' unmerited

PHOENIX -- Nate Tibbetts stood astatine halfway court, dumbfounded. With 2:41 near successful the 3rd 4th of Game 4 of the WNBA Finals connected Friday night, helium received 2 speedy method fouls for arguing a foul call, becoming the archetypal caput manager successful league past to beryllium ejected successful a Finals game.

"I deliberation it was 1 of the weakest treble technicals ever," Tibbetts said. "I didn't adjacent cognize I got the 2nd one, to beryllium wholly honest. I conscionable don't recognize it."

Crew main Roy Gulbeyan told a excavation newsman afterward that Tibbetts earned his archetypal method aft saying, "That's f---ing terrible," aft a foul was called connected Mercury defender Monique Akoa Makani. According to Gulbeyan, Tibbetts past stepped successful person toward the authoritative and again yelled, "That's f---ing terrible," drafting the 2nd method for an automatic ejection.

"It's weak, weak, weak," Tibbetts said. "We were playing for our playoff lives. Most coaches, erstwhile they get tossed, you're doing it connected purpose. That wasn't my volition astatine all. ... I didn't consciousness similar I deserved it astatine all. ... It was bulls---."

Mercury players Kahleah Copper and DeWanna Bonner were besides assessed technicals successful the 4th quarter. Gulbeyan said Bonner's was fixed due to the fact that of a "heat-of-the-moment reaction," including protesting a no-call and overtly air-punching astatine an official.

Copper was fixed a tech aft she was assessed a loose-ball foul and yelled a profanity aft she "aggressively approached the calling official."

"There person been issues with officiating each year," Tibbetts said.

Tibbetts pointed retired the escaped propulsion discrepancy betwixt the Mercury and the Aces successful Game 4. Phoenix attempted 18 compared with 31 for Las Vegas, including 19 from Finals MVP A'ja Wilson.

"A'ja is simply a large player," Tibbetts said. "But erstwhile idiosyncratic is shooting that galore escaped throws, it's conscionable tough. Obviously, we were frustrated. She changeable arsenic galore escaped throws arsenic our full team. That's pugnacious to overcome."

He continued: "Tonight, I mean, it's a closeout crippled for them and they sprout [31] escaped throws. Early successful the playoffs, they fto teams play a spot more. But tonight, that was not the case."

Tibbetts' said his biggest contented with the officiating wide has been the inconsistency. Alyssa Thomas agreed, saying that accordant officiating is the biggest alteration needed successful the WNBA.

"It's been the connection each play long," Thomas said. "We've been asking for it for years. But it is what it is. It's unfortunate to get to this stage."

Added Tibbetts: "There is simply a alteration successful this league. The merchandise is continuing to get better. There are much eyes connected it. Officiating has to turn with the league."

Despite their issues, the Mercury said they didn't property their nonaccomplishment to the officiating, with Copper saying, "It's cool. It's done. We don't adjacent person to speech astir it."

"That's not what the wins and the losses are about," Copper said. "One happening astir america is that we are going to clasp ourselves accountable."

Instead, the biggest contented for Phoenix was the 26 points they gave to Las Vegas disconnected of 18 turnovers. Once again, the Mercury enactment themselves successful a 20-point hole, a shortage they became acquainted with passim the playoffs.

In Game 2 of the semifinals against the Minnesota Lynx, the Mercury came backmost from 20 down to win. In Game 3 of that series, they won aft trailing by 17.

In Game 3 of the Finals, they trailed by 17 again. Against the Aces, however, they couldn't get rather capable accumulation to implicit the comeback.

On Friday, the Mercury were capable to adjacent the 20-point spread to six, and it happened instantly aft Tibbetts' ejection. To Copper, that burst was a greater reflection of the team's season.

"It's different signifier of adversity successful the year," Copper said. "Let's conscionable adhd onto it. Let's conscionable play harder. That's conscionable what we're about. When you speech astir Mercury basketball, erstwhile you speech a...