The WNBA fan base was left disappointed after the league's app failed to broadcast the highly anticipated preseason debuts of Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso with the Chicago Sky. Despite the app listing the game as available, fans were unable to access the livestream, leading to confusion and frustration.
Just a few weeks after being drafted, former college basketball stars Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso made their highly anticipated WNBA debuts with the Chicago Sky. The Sky traveled to Minnesota for a preseason matchup with the Lynx, but fans who expected to watch the contest via the WNBA's app were left disappointed.
The league's app incorrectly listed the game as available to watch, which led to confusion among fans. The WNBA later clarified that only Caitlin Clark’s debut with the Indiana Fever was being broadcast, leaving many fans wondering why the other games were not accessible.
As fans expressed their disappointment on social media, a user known as @heyheyitsalli on X, formerly Twitter, came to the rescue. The user started an impromptu livestream of the game, promising no guarantees on quality but offering to do their best.
Viewership numbers on the livestream varied, but at one point, the video showed about 434,000 total views. The user previously posted a screenshot showing that the stream peaked at 173,381 live viewers, demonstrating the high demand for the game.
Shortly after the Lynx's 92-81 win over the Sky, Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve joked that the social media user who streamed the game should receive some monetary compensation for their efforts.
"Anybody that watched it should send three bucks to the person, I don’t even know who it is," Reeve said. "I think that what I would say is that the growth is happening so fast. It’s so accelerated."
Reeve also acknowledged that the increased excitement around the WNBA is leading to a demand for more comprehensive coverage.
"People want to see that, but they also want to see, you know, it’s not just about Caitlin," Reeve said. "This isn’t Caitlin’s fault in any way. It’s more, you know, the recognition that there’s general excitement about the WNBA in ways that we haven’t seen before. And so we have to capitalize to really ensure that this is a movement."
Despite the disappointment over the broadcasting issue, Reese and Cardoso made solid debuts for the Sky. Reese finished the game with 13 points and nine rebounds in 24 minutes, while Cardoso had six points and four rebounds in 13 minutes.
Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon expressed her satisfaction with the rookies' performances.
"This is a learning process for all of us.... And we’re going through that process in the right way," she said. "We got our leaders leading them, pulling them along. Keeping them confident. That’s what matters. So we’re in a great place, and they’re in a hell of a great place."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
