The WNBA mistakenly mentioned that the Chicago Sky preseason game, which was played on Friday against the Minnesota Lynx, could be viewed on League Pass but it was not available on the platform.
However, one fan took this into notice and shared the streaming game from her X account. The fan identified as per Front Office Sports was Alli Schneider, whose account, @heyheyitsalli, recorded two million views by the next day.
Angel Reese's highly-anticipated preseason debut was advertised to be on WNBA League Pass, but wasn't.
So, a fan streamed the game for tens of thousands of fans… from their phone.
It has players, coaches, and fans questioning if the WNBA can meet its biggest moment ⬇️
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) May 7, 2024
The game was last year’s NCAA champion and NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, Angel Reese’ debut with the Chicago Sky. Cheryl Reeve, the head coach of the Lynx, regarding the shortcomings of the broadcast system, shared, “The growth is happening so fast, it’s so accelerated. Business as usual isn’t going to work anymore; you’re going to get left behind. This is an example.…We have to capitalize on those things.”
During the team’s media day, two-time All-Star, superstar of the New York Liberty, Sabrina Ionescu shared her opinions regarding the situation and mentioned clearly, “I mean, it sucks. I think representation of every team is important.…Hopefully, the league can fix that because I think they dropped the ball on that part and hopefully they have a great explanation as to why that wasn’t televised. But hats off to the person that just figured it out.”
The incident happened during a time when the famed WNBA is currently negotiating a new media rights agreement, looking forward to doubling its current deal. The Minnesota Lynx defeated the Chicago Sky with a final score of 92-81.
Reese concluded her game with 13 points, nine rebounds, one assist, two steals, and one block. Kamilla Cardoso, the two-time NCAA champion and the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player of 2024, posted six points, 4 rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block.
The WNBA later apologized for the error and Schneider’s efforts were recognized by the former LSU superstar during the postgame press conference, during which she mentioned, “We should all send three bucks. Anybody who watched it should send three bucks.”
Schneider’s also shared her Cash App account on Platform X and confirmed that people are sending money for her incredible efforts.
