The Phoenix Mercury are finalizing a contract with Orlando Magic assistant Nate Tibbetts to make him their next coach, a league source said. Here’s what you need to know:
- According to ESPN, who first reported Tibbetts’ hiring, the deal will make Tibbetts the league’s highest-paid coach, passing Las Vegas Aces’ Becky Hammon. Hammon signed a WNBA record-setting contract during the 2021-22 offseason when Las Vegas hired her after a multi-season tenure with the San Antonio Spurs.
- Tibbetts assumes the position after Phoenix parted ways with coach Vanessa Nygaard in late June. The franchise also elected not to name interim coach Nikki Blue as its permanent coach.
- Tibbetts has been an assistant coach with the Orlando Magic since 2021, working under head coach Jamahl Mosley. He has previous NBA experience with the Portland Trail Blazers and Cleveland Cavaliers, as well as in the G League with the Tulsa 66ers and Sioux Falls Skyforce.
- Tibbetts takes over a Mercury team that finished a league-worst 9-31 last season.
- His hiring is the first significant move by new general manager Nick U’Ren, who was hired this past summer after spending nine years in basketball operations with the Golden State Warriors.
What does Tibbetts bring to the Mercury?
The answer to that remains a bit…
