When the Phoenix Mercury took out to hire a new head coach for their team, their final decision sent shockwaves in the basketball community. Months later, the Mercury?s General Manager finally opened up about criticism revolving around their controversial decision.?

In July, the Mercury announced that Jim Pitman would be retiring from the general manager post and Nick U?Ren would be taking his place. After the Mercury secured the worst record in the WNBA with 9-31 in the 2023 season, U?Ren went on the path to assemble a new coaching staff. But when he announced the team?s decision to hire Nate Tibbetts as the head coach, the basketball world was left shocked and criticized their decision as white male privileges. But in a recent interview with ESPN, U?Ren finally responded to this criticism.

The Mercury GM responds to the Intense criticism

During the interview, U?Ren stated that the candidate pool for the organization was much broader than he had expected as he described the hiring process as long and thorough.

In the interview, U?Ren said, ?I’m excited for us to be able to take action in terms of building a basketball operations staff and a coaching staff that reflects that diversity, that provides opportunity to people of all backgrounds, all expertise, all skill sets, and we understand that importance and we look forward to taking action, not just saying the words.??

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For now, nothing can be said for sure how this story will unfold. But one thing can be said for sure, Mercury’s actions will be closely followed as they move forward. Notably, the question stands, who’s Brittney Griner, Diana Taurasi’s new head coach?

Who’s Nate Tibbetts?

With a remarkable 16-year journey through the NBA and G-League, Nate Tibbetts now finds himself on a new path in his career as a coach. He began his coaching career in the G-League with the Sioux Falls Skyforce. After that, he moved to assist NBA teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Portland Trail Blazers. And most recently, he was an assistant with the Orlando Magic.?

But still, one question remains, why is he facing criticism? The answer to this question is very simple. Tibbetts has no experience in the WNBA and still, he will be the highest-paid coach in the WNBA.?

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What are your thoughts on this decision by the Phoenix Mercury? Tell us in the comments section.