Podcast Summary: Bird's Eye View with Sue Bird

Episode: Nate Tibbetts on the Mercury’s Finals Run, Coaching in the WNBA vs. NBA, and Diana Taurasi's Final Season

Date: December 12, 2025
Host: Sue Bird
Guest: Nate Tibbetts (Phoenix Mercury Head Coach)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Sue Bird sits down with Nate Tibbetts, head coach of the Phoenix Mercury, to discuss his unique journey from an NBA background to leading a top WNBA team. The conversation covers Tibbetts’ coaching roots, his transition to the women’s game, Phoenix’s Finals run, the experience of coaching Diana Taurasi in her final season, team culture, league rebranding, the challenges and opportunities in WNBA coaching pipelines, and much more.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Foundations: Coaching Roots & Family Influence (05:17–10:34)

• Small-Town Beginnings & Basketball Family:
  Tibbetts shares about growing up as the son of a high school girls’ basketball coach in a rural South Dakota town (population under 500). Basketball was the family’s life:

  • “Literally, like, out our back door through the yard was the side door to the gym.” (05:23, B)
  • His father, Fred, started girls’ basketball programs in the 1970s and his passion left a lasting mark on Nate’s coaching philosophy.
  • Tibbetts emphasizes the influence of both parents (both educators), and how their approach—especially his father's intensity and his mother's consistency—shaped his values as a coach.
  • “He was definitely more, like, fiery and had more passion. You either loved him or hated him. They won a lot, so there were a lot of people that probably didn't like him much.” (06:50, B)

• Perspective on Women’s Basketball:
  Exposure to women’s basketball from an early age gave Tibbetts a healthy respect for the women’s game and for coaching as a relationship-driven craft.

2. Career Journey: NBA to WNBA & The Mercury Opportunity (10:34–15:45)

• NBA Ascent & Portland Memories:
  Tibbetts recounts his progression through the college ranks, the G League, and the NBA—highlighting his time with Portland and the “Dame Lillard bye bye game.”

  • “We could never get over [the] Golden State Warriors. But we had some really good years, and Dame led a lot of that.” (11:03, B)

• Why the Mercury, Why the WNBA?

  • Tibbetts hadn’t planned on joining the W, but a call from Mercury GM Nick Uren changed everything:
    • “I hadn't really thought about the W just because I was in this NBA circle… I was driving home from the facility and got a missed call from Nick...” (11:45, B)
  • The involvement of GM Nick Uren and owner Matt Ishbia’s vision for the franchise were decisive.
  • Tibbetts credits the welcoming environment and the faith of ownership and players for his successful transition.

• Candid Reflection on Ambition and Timing:

  • “Money and contract plays a part in everything… in the NBA, there's shelf lives and how long are we going to be in this spot?” (15:19, B)
  • Entering the WNBA came at a great time, both for the league’s growth and for his family.

3. Transition Challenges: Learning Curve & League Differences (16:07–23:21)

• Reactions to Coaching a Women’s Pro Team:

  • Mixed reactions in his NBA circles; Tibbetts describes not caring much about outside opinions, focusing on his journey and family's support.
  • Welcoming players like Diana Taurasi (DT), Brittney Griner (BG), and Sophie Cunningham eased his transition.

• Learning the League:

  • Tibbetts admits he needed to “binge-watch the W” to catch up on players, systems, and styles of play.
    • “I looked at Lindsey, my wife… ‘we need to watch some W games, a ton.’” (19:44, B)
  • Early on, pronounced player names incorrectly; locker room banter ensued.

• Building Relationships:

  • Emphasizes importance of real, honest player relationships in the W, which aligns with his strengths.

• Applying NBA Lessons—But Adapting:

  • “Part of the reason Nick hired me was because I had seen some of the same things that he saw and we wanted to play a certain way… but at the end of the day, you have to adapt to your talent.” (23:21, B)
  • Credits his G League experience with preparing him for the volatility of WNBA rosters and small roster sizes.

4. WNBA Macro Issues: Coaching Pipeline, Diversity, and Rebrands (32:36–40:08)

• Highest-Paid Coach Pressure & Representation Debate:

  • Arrived as the highest paid coach in league history and quickly nicknamed “girl dad.”
  • “I wasn't coming here to be the highest-paid coach or be the girl dad. I was just excited for an opportunity to coach in a great league.” (33:17, B)
  • Acknowledges pressure but chooses to focus on his standards and relationships.

• Pipeline for Former Players, Women, and Diversity:

  • Sue raises league-wide questions: Why aren’t more former players, Black women, or women in general getting head jobs?
  • “It's real. And I understand former players’ frustration, but I do… I am respectful to their frustration… I don't decide who hires and fires coaches.” (39:15, B)
  • Believes all backgrounds bring something unique; growth of money in the WNBA will attract more diverse pathways.

5. Phoenix Mercury Culture & Diana Taurasi’s Last Season (40:08–47:23)

• Coaching Diana Taurasi in Her Final Season:

  • Expresses deep gratitude for coaching one of the all-time greats.
    • “I always say, I can't imagine seeing her in her prime, like, how good she was even at that age… just how good and how driven and how much winning was important.” (40:53, B)
  • Taurasi’s work ethic, preparation, and honesty set the organizational standard.

• Building a New Culture:

  • Focused on trust and care as the foundations: “Players always ask: Number one, do you care? And can I trust you?... Trust and care are the two things.” (44:43, B)
  • Navigating the transition from the DT/BG era to a new generation required maintaining tradition but introducing new systems, especially during wild free agency periods.

6. The Big Three and Team Building (48:27–54:52)

• Crafting a New Contender:

  • Describes assembling the team’s “big three” (Kahleah Copper, Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally) as a unique WNBA success built almost entirely via free agency and trades rather than the draft—a rarity in league history.
    • “There’s a reason you’re a number one pick, you’re most likely a great player… but I am super proud of us for putting ourselves in that position with such turnover…” (54:12, B)

• On Sammy Whitcomb’s Impact:

  • “When people ask who the hardest workers are I've ever been around, she's for sure going to be in my top three… Male, female, whatever.” (51:27, B)

7. Playoff Run, Finals Run, and Learning from Losses (56:56–70:20)

• Playoff Pivots and Emotional Moments:

  • Key moment: Down 20 in Game 2 vs. the Lynx, they sparked a season-changing comeback in overtime.
    • “Getting that win changed everyone's eyes… we really do have a chance.” (57:58, B)
  • Praises team’s composure during chaos; acknowledges the thin margin for error and the importance of building belief in new groups.

• On Officiating—A League-Wide Challenge:

  • “I wanted to make it about the game and players, not officiating, because I feel like that is… where our conversations go… but I wish it was more about the players and teams, how good that level is.” (61:35, B)
  • Advocates for more focus on player excellence and hopes officiating “steps up” as the league evolves.

• The Finals vs. Las Vegas:

  • Credits Aces with being the league’s hottest team, the role of experience, and Becky Hammon’s coaching.
  • Learning from defeat:
    • “Sometimes you’ve got to be disappointed and feel that pain to understand what it takes… I hope that's our driving force.” (66:46, B)
  • On addressing the locker room after Finals loss:
    • “Those are probably, to me, some of your toughest talks… because you may want it for them more than you want it for yourself.” (67:54, B)
    • Recalls being ejected: “I was sitting in the diet [suite] trying to decide what to say or have a beer… I didn’t know what the right move was at that time.” (69:51, B)

8. Looking Ahead: Offseason, Innovation, and Continuous Improvement (71:09–74:12)

• Coach’s Offseason “Work”:

  • Planning complicated by CBA uncertainty and free agency chaos.
  • “You’re always finding different ways to lead… our staff is playing with AI stuff—just being curious.” (71:09, B)
  • Emphasizes incremental improvements and adapting style to match personnel.

• Reflections on New Era:

  • Sue notes Phoenix’s roster retooling signals a new era, with free agency now driving success for the first time in WNBA history: “It might just be the mark of a new era.” (74:17, A)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Respect for the Women’s Game:

  • “I didn’t really care what other people thought of the W. This was just going to be my journey with my family and our path.” (16:42, B)

• On Navigating Critique as a Male Coach in the WNBA:

  • “I wasn't coming here to be the highest paid coach or be the girl dad. Like, I was just excited for an opportunity to coach in a great league.” (33:17, B)

• On Player-Coach Relationships:

  • “Players always ask: Number one, do you care? And can I trust you… You can't trick a great player.” (44:43, B)

• On Diana Taurasi’s Legacy:

  • “I can’t imagine seeing her in her prime… you wanted it for her and to finish the right way and unfortunately it just didn’t… but I was super lucky and blessed to be able to do that.” (40:53, B / 43:10, B)

• On Building Through Free Agency:

  • “It is different… from what we’ve seen. You might have just been one of the first teams who had success purely in free agency…” (53:13, A)

• On Handling Playoff Pressure:

  • “In a five game series, you go down 02… it’s sitting on the wall… but the way that we responded was impressive.” (57:58, B)

• On Officiating in the W:

  • “We gotta get to a point where officials are making a step—so that's not the number one thing, that's not the fallback or that's not what we talk about.” (61:35, B)

• On Learning from Losses:

  • “You got to go through hard times… how you respond to these situations is extremely important. I always try to be honest and real in those situations.” (67:54, B)

• On Coaching Innovation:

  • “Maybe our staff is kind of playing with this AI stuff… again, just being curious.” (71:09, B)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Coaching upbringing & early influences: 05:17–10:34
• NBA journey & transition to the WNBA: 10:34–16:07
• Learning the league / Initial challenges: 16:07–23:21
• WNBA coaching representation, macro issues: 32:36–40:08
• Coaching Diana Taurasi & building culture: 40:08–47:23
• Phoenix’s new Big Three & roster construction: 48:27–54:52
• Playoff run, officiating, and Finals lessons: 56:56–70:20
• Offseason, coaching improvements, AI: 71:09–74:12

Tone and Style

The conversation is direct, warm, insightful, and candid—true to Sue Bird’s style. Both Sue and Nate exhibit respect for the game, gratitude for their experiences, and thoughtfulness about the evolution of women’s basketball.

For those who missed the episode:
This conversation offers rare insight into a major coaching transition, championship building in the free-agency era, and the unique culture of the WNBA—all through the lens of a respected leader, down-to-earth stories, and the wisdom from generations of basketball excellence.