One timeout could have changed everything for the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday night. Instead, it became their fourth straight loss. The Mercury faced its latest defeat against the New York Liberty at the Barclays Centre. While the team’s performance was defined by persistent mistakes, its head coach, Nate Tibbetts, didn’t fare much better with his strategies either. Now, after the 74-84 loss, the Mercury head coach has taken responsibility for his team’s outing.

The questions around Tibbetts’ tactical decision go back to the third quarter of the game. The Liberty were going all-in on offense, which was taking the game completely away from the Mercury. But during that crucial phase, Tibbetts didn’t call for a single timeout to regroup his team, letting the momentum drift away. The contrast was even sharper because New York had just used its own timeout to reset after opening the second half flat. Chris DeMarco’s message, by the Liberty players’ own recollection, was direct: defend harder, clean things up, and stop talking about the same mistakes. New York responded immediately.

“That run was on me. I should have called a timeout tonight. 100 percent. I let the team down tonight,” the Mercury head coach said in the post-game press conference when asked about Liberty’s third-quarter run.

After leading the halftime scores 43-42, Phoenix tipped off the third quarter on a high note. Natasha Mack and Kahleah Copper kept the team afloat, combining for 10 points within the first four minutes. Tibbetts’ team also managed to take a six-point lead after that run, as the scores read 55-49. As reality set in, that remained the last time the Mercury would see a lead exchange in the game.

Anchored by Jonquel Jones, Liberty’s 23-point run started from 6:09 of the third quarter scoring spree, taking the game away from Phoenix. Jones orchestrated the run with a 25-foot three-pointer, finishing the third quarter with 10 points. She also added four rebounds and three assists in the period, giving New York control on both ends. Pauline Astier also added five points in the final 35 seconds of the quarter.

Phoenix’s struggles with ball security further crippled their run in the drought. Nate Tibbetts’ team conceded eight turnovers during that 23-point run, allowing Liberty to take advantage. “We just didn’t take care of the ball,” Tibbetts mentioned in the post-game presser. New York’s pressure made that problem worse, as the Liberty started pressing and trapping Mercury ball-handlers in the backcourt. Jonquel Jones later pointed to the defense as the “biggest catalyst” behind the turnaround, saying it helped New York force turnovers and shift the trajectory of the game.

And Phoenix head coach’s decision not to call a timeout and break Liberty’s flow, even after these struggles, is beyond understanding, leaving everyone second-guessing. Journalist Jeff Metcalfe, a 2021 NSMA Arizona Sportswriter of the Year, also echoed the same. “Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts did not take a timeout during New York 23-0 run over final 6:09 3rd Q #WNBA … mystifying.”

The IX Sports writer Aya Abdeen also did the same. “Something to note – How Nate Tibbetts hasn’t even taken a single timeout for the Mercury in the third quarter is head-scratching,” she wrote on X.

Now, it can be explained that Tibbetts didn’t want to hamper his team’s momentum by taking a timeout. But given the game’s crucial situation and Mercury’s struggles, Tibbetts was required to make a tactical reset. Instead, his decision not to call a timeout fueled Liberty’s momentum, and Mercury couldn’t recover after that 23-point run. By the time the third quarter ended, Phoenix had gone from a six-point lead to a 17-point deficit.

The Phoenix Mercury did manage to outscore the New York Liberty 19-12 in Q4. But even then, it wasn’t enough for them to script a late comeback, as the damage had already been done to them in the third quarter. From an overall perspective of the game, the Mercury had a decent shooting night.

The Mercury went 42% from the field and 33% from deep. Copper and Mack were the only players to record double figures in points, finishing the night with 19 and 14, respectively. Monique Akoa Makani made her first appearance for Mercury this season, recording 9 points and 4 assists.

The free-throw shooting is a concern for the Mercury, as they missed 8 free throws. Better accuracy from the team in this regard could have bridged their gap. But, at the end of the day, the loss still came back to a familiar issue that has followed Phoenix through the early part of the season: defensive lapses, poor ball security, and an inability to stop an opponent once the game began slipping away.

Phoenix Mercury’s Defense Remains a Concern for Nate Tibbetts

There has been a lot of chatter around the Phoenix Mercury’s defense this season. Team veteran Alyssa Thomas herself came out in the media a week ago to sound the alarm for her team after a loss to Toronto Tempo. “It is going to be a long season if we don’t get it together on the defensive end,” she had said.

The loss to the New York Liberty yet again proved that Thomas was right. Competing against a team featuring players like Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Marine Johannes, the Mercury had to be flawless in their defensive approach. But Nate Tibbetts’ team seems far from that level of efficiency.

That became even more concerning because New York was not at full strength. Sabrina Ionescu was ruled out with back soreness, while Satou Sabally also missed the game due to illness. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton returned from a three-game absence, and Leonie Fiebich made her season debut, giving the Liberty a different-looking rotation.

The Phoenix Mercury failed to make defensive stops, allowing the Liberty clean looks. The Liberty, in turn, took 67 shots in the game, going 28-67 from the field. Liberty also scored 14 three-pointers in the game, recording 47% from beyond the arc on the night. Johannes led the Liberty with 21 points, with 7 of 9 from deep. Her performance carried extra weight after recent offensive struggles, and she admitted afterward that facing Phoenix brought back memories from last season. Jones recorded 17 on the night as well to hand Mercury a fourth straight loss.

There was also a revenge layer to New York’s urgency. Phoenix had eliminated the Liberty in the first round of last year’s playoffs, and Leonie Fiebich made it clear that the players who were part of that series still felt it. That added edge showed once New York’s defense finally clicked in the third quarter.

It’s a recurring concern Nate Tibbetts’ team is facing this season. Mercury has given away 80+ points in 7 of their 8 games this season. Currently, the team ranks 12th in defensive rating (108.1).

The good news for Phoenix is that these are still early stretches in the season. They can still regroup under Tibbetts to address these issues and make a quick turnaround. But they need to do it urgently as they can’t afford to stay down the pecking order.

They are already 8th in the Western Conference division with a 2-6 record. Their next game is scheduled for May 29 in a rematch against the New York Liberty at the Barclays Center.