PHOENIX — A season that was clouded by complaints about officiating couldn’t escape the criticism in the final game of 2025.

With 2:41 remaining in the third quarter of Game 4 of the WNBA Finals, officials ejected Phoenix Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts for a double technical foul. Tibbetts said he never received an explanation as to why he was ejected, and called his ejection “bulls—.”

“It’s embarrassing. I feel bad that I was tossed,” Tibbetts said after the Mercury’s 97-86 loss to the Las Vegas Aces, who claimed the championship with a 4-0 sweep in the best-of-seven series. “I’ve been around this game a long time, I think it’s one of the weakest double technicals ever. I didn’t even know that I got the second one, to be completely honest.

“I feel bad for our team, our fans, my family. It wasn’t needed in my opinion. I’d love to hear their call. But yeah, it was weak. We’re playing for our playoff lives. Most coaches, when they get tossed, you’re doing it on purpose, and that was not my intention at all.”

Friday marked the second consecutive game that Tibbetts was assessed at least one technical, but it was his first ejection of the postseason and first of his career.

“There’s been issues with the officiating all year,” Tibbetts said. “I feel like I didn’t deserve that. I thought it was bulls—.”

After the Mercury’s Kahleah Copper didn’t draw a foul on a drive to the basket — when it appeared that Dana Evans had reached on her — Tibbetts clapped in referee Gina Cross’ direction. On the ensuing possession, Monique Akoa Makani was pressuring Evans as she brought the ball up and was whistled for a foul. Tibbetts approached Cross and yelled at her, pointing to the other end of the floor, presumably in reference to the Copper play. He was thrown out of the game for a double technical foul.

Tibbetts looked confused by the ejection and didn’t leave the court immediately, appearing to ask another official, Tim Greene, what happened.

Tibbetts said he did not receive an explanation from any of the game’s three officials upon his ejection. And while the coach did not explicitly share what he said on the court, he admitted that whatever he said deserved a first technical foul.

After the game, referee Roy Gulbeyan explained what triggered Tibbetts’ technical fouls. Gulbeyan said officials assessed the first technical foul when “Tibbetts came onto the floor and yelled, ‘That’s f— terrible,’” after the foul was called on Makani, according to the WNBA pool report.

Gulbeyan said Tibbetts then “stepped in closer aggressively to the calling official and again yelled, ‘That’s f— terrible,” prompting officials to call a second technical foul and eject him.

The Aces shot 35 free throws in Game 4, with their star, A’ja Wilson, attempting as many free throws (19) as the entire Mercury team.

Phoenix’s frustration with the referees did not subside after Tibbetts’ ejection. DeWanna Bonner earned a technical foul with six minutes remaining for complaining after a no-call on a second-chance attempt. With less than two minutes to go, Copper was called for her sixth foul and let Gulbeyan know her displeasure, resulting in a technical foul along with her disqualification.

“It’s unfortunate that you get to this stage and you don’t have (consistent officiating),” Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas said. “I think that’s the main message everyone has been saying all year long.”

Throughout the season, players, coaches and executives around the WNBA have criticized the league’s officiating. Team stakeholders have specifically voiced frustrations with how the WNBA’s freedom of movement rules are enforced and about what they see as inconsistent calls.

Earlier this postseason, Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve was fined $15,000 for both her conduct and comments in the final 30 seconds and immediate aftermath of Minnesota’s Game 3 semifinal loss to Phoenix. Reeve called for a change at the leadership level when it comes to officiating and said that the game’s crew was “f—ing malpractice.” Aces coach Becky Hammon voiced a similar complaint as did Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White.

Ahead of Game 1 of the finals, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said that it was “pretty clear that we’re misaligned currently on what our stakeholders want from officiating.” As part of her comments, she also announced a multi-stakeholder task force to “ensure that our officiating platform evolves in step with the growth of the league.”

Tibbetts said he would like to see more consistent officiating in the future.

“There’s change in this league,” he said. “The product is continuing to get better. There’s more eyes on it, and I think the officiating has to grow with the league.”