Fans hoping to see rookie stars Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso make their WNBA preseason debuts Friday night were dismayed to find that the game was not available through WNBA League Pass, but more than 800,000 viewers found one alternative way to watch: via a fan’s livestream on filmed X. on his cell phone.
User @heyheyitsalli shared a post before the game started about angering the league’s fans by not showing the game via YouTube as was initially announced, then asked in a follow-up post if she should try to broadcast the match from the stands. The result was a two-hour video stream with “some of the WILDEST acts” she could have expected, she exclaimed in a later post.
The video post has been viewed more than 800,000 times as of midnight Friday and reposted more than 2,300 times. Among the nearly 400 responses was WNBA legend Sue Bird.
It’s amazing 🤩😄. I hope you have this mophie!
– Sue Bird (@S10Bird) May 4, 2024
Prior to the game, the league incorrectly displayed on the League Pass app that the game would be available to watch. After fans were left frustrated by the unavailability, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve spoke postgame about the live broadcast.
“The growth is so fast, so accelerated. The status quo is not going to work anymore, you’re going to be left behind,” Reeve said of the league’s broadcast limitations. “This is an example. … We need to capitalize on these things.
Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon echoed those sentiments and said she was happy so many people were tuning in to watch her Chicago team, which fell to Minnesota 92-81.
“We would love for us to be out there and for everyone to take a look, especially for this team, you have a great group of young ladies who are exciting to watch play. Tonight we had the opportunity to get a sense of where we are and what we need to do. It’s great to know that a lot of people are really listening.
Reese played over 24 minutes in the loss, scoring 13 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Cardoso played 13 minutes and had six points with four rebounds off the bench.
The WNBA apologized for the error in a subsequent article., urging fans to watch Caitlin Clark make her preseason debut for the Indiana Fever against the Dallas Wings. The league’s post sparked hundreds of responses, many from angry fans.
Earlier today, Reeve posted a post encouraging fans to watch the Lynx and Sky match despite the league not including either team in its social media post or on the League Pass app. Reeve’s hashtag #theWismorethanoneplayer was interpreted by many as a commentary on the league’s heavy marketing of Clark at the expense of other players and teams.
ALSO in action tonight – @minnesotalynx against @chicagosky 7:00 p.m. CST. Even though fans won’t be able to watch, #Lynx fans can access the Lynx app to follow play by play. Or if you’re in the market, come to the game… as we start the season off right ✅#12teams #theWismorethanoneplayer
– Cheryl Reeve (@LynxCoachReeve) May 3, 2024
The user @heyheyitsalli did not respond to Athleticismrequest for comment.
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(Photo: David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)