The WNBA grappled with irritated fans on Friday night. Longtime fans and newcomers alike were bothered by the lack of accessible options the league provided for the franchises of the league.
While the league apologized, they were met with fierce comments from fans on social media.
Among the complaints were that Chicago Sky stars Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, both on the heels of successful college careers, weren’t offered on WNBA League Pass. The league incorrectly displayed that all the games were available on the app.
With fans prohibited from watching the Sky battle the Minnesota Lynx, one person emerged on X to offer fans a look into the game.
Literally. Through their cell phone camera.
X user alli, @heyheyitsalli, provided a look at the game:
It’s safe to say that word spread like wildfire. As last checked, the post currently has over 100,000 views. It’s at 106,300 views on its live broadcast, and the post itself has fetched over 200,000 views.
Hall of Famer Sue Bird commented on the live stream, calling it “amazing.”
https://twitter.com/s10bird/status/1786572416853925961?s=46
It’s awfully crazy that fans have to funnel to social media to watch a sports game. But for someone to just emerge online and provide a live stream of it? This is one of the wilder stories in recent memory.
To be fair to the WNBA, the issues appear out of their reach. As one user pointed out, a conflict with Bally Sports North appears to be a significant reason why the game isn’t airing on TV. BSN is airing the Minnesota Twins game instead of the Lynx-Sky preseason game.
The WNBA will likely experience growth one way or another this year with a booming influx of fans, popularity, and talent. However, it’s clear that whatever preparation the league’s done for this oncoming avalanche of popularity is not enough. They’ll have to do better, and we can imagine the feverish push that looms will put them in a position to do better and do right.
[alli]