The Aces are dominating the WNBA Finals this season, and have steadily and methodically so far managed to put to bed any semblance of a chance that the Mercury will be able to battle their way back from the team's 3-0 run. At the heart of the success of Las Vegas is coach Becky Hammon, who is offering first-year WNBA coach Nate Tibbets a masterclass in coaching in the W, as well as sending a message to future NBA recruits: coaching in the NBA matters, but it's not a surefire ticket to success in the W.
Of course, we have to acknowledge that Hammon herself spent several years in the NBA as an assistant coach for the Spurs before taking over at Las Vegas. But before that, Hammon played in the WNBA for 16 seasons from 1999 to 2014 — and it's her combined experience as an assistant coach and has a player who helped shape the WNBA that is so masterfully on display right now.
To say Hammon is outcoaching Tibbets isn't a slam against the Mercury; Tibbets has put in a strong season with the team, and will undoubtedly have a future in Phoenix for seasons to come. But as we're seeing now, the Finals are a different kind of beast. Hammon, who has two Championships with Las Vegas under her belt, knows what it takes to drive things all the way home — and it's starting to look like that's exactly what she's about to do.
Tibbets and the Mercury have yet to come up with an answer for the Aces offensively or defensively, which leaves them on a sinking ship with no lifeboats. The team may well play without star Satou Sabally, who went down with a scary head injury during Wednesday night's game, and it's clear Las Veags has completely figured out Alyssa Thomas' game from top to bottom. The hill the team will need to climb to win Friday is steep, and it's possible Tibbets doesn't yet have the vision needed to lead them up it.
The Finals are highlighting rumors of a trend we might see more of next season: NBA assistant coaches are reportedly interviewing for more WNBA head coaching jobs than they ever have been, something that is likely the result of the increased attention on the W and the increased credibility the league now has. According to Jake Fischer, head assistant coach Miles Simon is said to have interviewed for both the Tempo and Fire head coaching positions; Portland has reportedly also interviewed Alex Samrama.
Both are welcome in the WNBA of course, but it may serve them to consider exactly what they are getting themselves into, and the fact that the NBA and the WNBA are two very different leagues. Sure, basketball is basketball, but WNBA players are faced with on and off court challenges that NBA players will never see, and being able to relate to those challenges is part of building a relationship with players that is trusting and secure.
Clearly, Tibbets has figured out a way to do that — despite their postseason performance, the Mercury have played in a way this season that shows they trust their coach — but the team's Finals run may be proving that there's only so far he can go (or that Hammon is really, truly, just that good).