Mercury HC Nate Tibbetts pinpoints key reason behind gritty win vs. Sparks
09/18/2024 11:35 AM
The Phoenix Mercury took home their second consecutive win, this time against the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday. Phoenix earned an 85-81 victory in the game. Following a Brittney Griner ejection that limited the Mercury to nine players, the task was daunting. Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts showed love to his bench postgame following a gritty win in the City of Angels.
“Our bench mob, our stay-ready group came through and made some big plays,” Tibbetts said. “This is Kiki’s (Herbert Harrigan) second game here in LA hitting big threes down the stretch. So I just want to give that group a ton of credit for coming in and kind of changing the game with their effort.”
Every player off the bench played at least 16 minutes. As a whole, the four-person unit contributed a total of 28 points, nine rebounds, two assists, five blocks, and three steals. Tibbetts has stressed defense since the season resumed in late August and it showed. They limited the Sparks to 34% shooting from the field and 27% from three. Also, they forced 18 turnovers that turned into 31 points for the Mercury.
Although the bench was red hot defensively, so was Mercury guard Celeste Taylor. She contributed only three points but made her presence known. She racked up five of the team’s 11 steals, as well as an emphatic block on Sparks forward Rickea Jackson. Tibbetts praised his rookie guard for setting the tone for the short-handed squad.
“I told her tonight she’s got to pick up full court the rest of the year,” Tibbetts said, laughing. “She is a competitor. She’s got talent at that defensive end, just kind of like Tash (Natasha Cloud). Her rotations, that block in the first quarter, five steals. Her offense will catch up. I think she’s slowed down offensively and she’s not putting herself in bad positions but defensively, she’s a problem for sure.”
Celeste again defensively, sparking (no pun intended) this two-way sequence with good instincts
— Stephen PridGeon (@StayTrueSDot3) September 18, 2024
Then, watch how well Mack plays two in space, then is able to get the block, & finish the sequence with the middy off the pop pic.twitter.com/BfKLnWSYLV
Another member of the bench mob displayed her skills. Forward Kiki Herbert Harrigan was a deadeye once again in Los Angeles. In her previous game against the Sparks, she nailed a game-winner. With an expanded role due to ejections and injuries, she scored 10 points and hit another game-winner. Herbert Harrigan echoed her coach’s sentiment about staying ready.
“Just stay ready,” Herbert Harrigan said. “Even when you don’t play, they (the starters) always come and just pour that confidence into you. That’s just us, caring for each other and being there for each other and just playing for each other, playing together.”
How can Mercury and Nate Tibbetts use this for WNBA Playoffs?
The bench brought a variety of different skills to the table. Protecting the basket, making tough shots, and getting to the free-throw line proved pivotal. Tibbetts even had forward Monique Billings play the center spot, despite being undersized. He also brought more zone defenses, full-court, and half-court presses.
Playing against a well-orchestrated offense in the Minnesota Lynx could force Tibbetts to open the defensive bag of tricks. He talked about how essential the defense was.
“I think it was something that we talked about coming into the year,” Tibbetts said. “I thought we did a good job of it early in the year, and then for whatever reason, I’ve gone away from it. We needed to change the pace when BG was out. I give Celeste, Sophie, and Tash a ton of credit for extending that zone. I think they probably saw a little bit of indecision on the part of the Sparks, and that breeds confidence and we started flying around and bought into that end defensively, which is awesome.”
They only allowed 10 points to the Sparks in the third quarter, which helped them climb back. While the game shifted, Mercury guard Diana Taurasi was resting on the bench. She played only 22 minutes and sat out most of the second half. Still, her wisdom and insight loomed large. She loved what she saw from the bench unit in the gritty win.
“We’re trying to incorporate new faces with Celeste, Kiki, and (Natasha) Mack,” Taurasi said. “There’s still an opportunity to get better every single night. That’s what we’re trying to do going into the playoffs. I thought it was nice to see some people tonight play well. It’s still a big moment and whenever you hit the court, the ultimate goal is to win the game. I thought tonight was pretty neat for us.”
The Mercury take on the Seattle Storm in the final game of the WNBA season in downtown Phoenix. Both teams are locked into their seeding. It’ll be worth noting if Tibbetts keeps his starters fresh for the first round of the playoffs, or if he lets them play.
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