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Phoenix Mercury faces lawsuit from former interim coach Nikki Blue

Originally posted on Burn City Sports | By Wendy Lopez | Last updated Jul 4, 2025 8:25 AM ET

PHOENIX — Former Phoenix Mercury interim coach Nikki Blue has filed a lawsuit against the organization, alleging unequal treatment and termination in retaliation for speaking up against said treatment.

According to ESPN, Blue alleges she was paid less than her predecessor, Vanessa Nygaard, and successor, Nate Tibbetts. Blue claims she wasn’t paid equally by the organization based on her race, since the other two coaches are white and she is black.

Blue also alleges that the Mercury front office made decisions that made it hard to maintain a competitive team in 2023.

The former coach was hired by Phoenix in 2022 as an assistant coach and made interim coach in 2023 after Nygaard was released in June of the same year.

A statement from the law firm that is co-counseling the case, Mesidor PLLC, was posted on Thursday night.

“Lawyers for former Phoenix Mercury interim coach Nikki Blue have filed a lawsuit against the organization, alleging unequal treatment based on race and gender, unequal pay based on race and that her employment was terminated in retaliation for complaints about unequal…

— Eliav Gabay (@eliavgabay) July 4, 2025