Disappointment rippled through the WNBA community on Friday night as fans eagerly awaited the league debuts of Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, only to find their games overshadowed by the spotlight on another rookie sensation. The preseason matchup between the Chicago Sky and the Minnesota Lynx, featuring Reese and Cardoso, respectively, failed to receive the broadcast attention it deserved.
Instead, the league’s focus was squarely on Caitlin Clark’s debut for the Indiana Fever against the Dallas Wings, leaving fans scrambling to find alternative ways to watch.
With the WNBA’s website directing viewers to Clark’s game, fans of Reese and Cardoso turned to unconventional streaming methods, resorting to platforms such as X to catch glimpses of the action. One such stream reportedly garnered an impressive peak viewership of around 260,000, underscoring the demand for coverage of all the league’s promising newcomers.
Fan reactions
Social media became a sounding board for frustrated fans, who criticized the WNBA for its apparent lack of preparation and foresight in ensuring that both games received adequate attention. “The @WNBA doing Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso so wrong,” a user wrote on X.
The league’s failure to provide a platform for Reese and Cardoso’s debuts left many feeling overlooked and undervalued. “The league is 80% Black women, why aren’t they showing two of the most prolific young women to be drafted?! Whiteness got yall in a chokehold. Fire whoever is making these asinine decisions.”
Another added: “Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese are making their professional debuts in preseason and not one person thought it would be smart to broadcast it somewhere?!?!?! Further (Teresa Weatherspoon) is making her head coaching debut and still no one in power thought it would be smart?!?!”
