Former Phoenix Mercury Interim Coach Nikki Blue Mother Raised Her By Serving As Bus Driver While Her Father Stayed Out Of Media Spotlight

Former Phoenix Mercury coach Nikki Blue’s mother, Sabrina, reportedly served as a bus driver.

Lawyers for 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 treatment.

The suit was filed on Thursday, July 3, 2025, in the U.S. District Court in Arizona.

Blue, who is Black, was hired in 2022 as an assistant coach and was named the team’s interim coach in June 2023 after Vanessa Nygaard was fired midseason. She had a 7-21 record in the interim role.

She was not retained after the season. The Mercury hired Orlando Magic assistant Nate Tibbets, who is white.

The suit claims that Blue was paid $250,000 in her interim role, which was less than the $375,000 that Nygaard, who is white, was making.

Tibbets is reportedly making more than $1 million per season.

Blue also claimed that the Mercury organization set her up to fail, making roster decisions in 2023 that made the team non-competitive.

One of Blue’s lawyers is Sheree Wright, who has filed other suits against the NBA’s Phoenix Suns and the Mercury in recent seasons.

In a statement, Suns and Mercury senior vice president of communications Stacey Mitch said,

Nikki Blue’s Parents Always supported Her In Achieving Her Athletic Dreams

Born on March 29, 1984, in Bakersfield, California, United States, Anitra Necole “Nikki” Blue, 41, was born to her mother, Sabrina Hunter, and her father, whose identity has not been revealed.

She grew up alongside her brother, Andre Blue, who has stayed out of the media spotlight.

Nikki’s parents always supported her in achieving her academic and athletic goals.

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A post shared by Nikki Blue (@nikkiblue32)

According to the source, her mother, Sabrina, graduated from Bakersfield High School in 1982 and was an outstanding player in the early years of high school girls’ basketball.

Sabrina later served as a bus driver to provide for her children.

Recently, on February 8, 2025, Nikki took to her official Instagram handle and wished her mother a happy birthday. She wrote,

Nikki Blue And Her Family Have A Connection With African Heritage

Although Nikki and her parents reside in the United States, they hold American nationality and are of African-American ethnicity. Her ancestors migrated from Africa to the United States.

Earlier, during Obama’s 2008 election night speech about the African-American community, Sabrina, who was visiting from Bakersfield, California, teared up while watching the moment.

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The moment was also significant to Nikki Blue’s grandfather, Carl Toney, who grew up under Jim Crow laws in Texarkana, Texas.

Her grandfather, Carl, was drafted into the United States Army in 1944. During World War II, he served in the European and Pacific Theaters.

In 1971, he was hired by California State University, Bakersfield, as a groundskeeper. He retired from that department in 1990 as a Supervisor.

Sadly, he passed away on November 16, 2020, at 96.

In Case You Didn’t Know

• Nikki Blue was hired by the Phoenix Mercury on March 31, 2022, as an Assistant Coach to be a part of new Head Coach Vanessa Nygaard’s coaching staff. She was named the interim head coach for the Mercury after they fired Nygaard on June 25, 2023.
• Her biggest thrill to date was being selected to play in the first McDonald’s All-Star game in New York.
• She was regarded as one of the best point guards in the country and was offered a full-ride scholarship to the University of Connecticut, the nation’s top-ranked team in 2002.