The WNBA debuts of Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso were widely watched on a social media livestream from a fan who stepped in when the league’s app couldn’t broadcast the game.
Reese and Cardoso played in their first preseason game for the Chicago Sky on Friday night in a 92-81 loss to the Minnesota Lynx.
The WNBA’s app had incorrectly listed the game as available to watch, leading to confusion from fans before the league clarified that only Caitlin Clark’s debut with the Indiana Fever was being broadcast.
That’s when @heyheyitsalli stepped in on X.
Viewership numbers on the livestream varied, but on Saturday the video showed about 434,000 total views. The X user previously posted a screenshot showing that the stream peaked at 173,381 live viewers.
“Y’all these are some of THE WILDEST numbers WOW,” the user tweeted.
Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve was asked about the stream after the game. She said @heyheyitsalli deserves “three bucks” per viewer.
“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. And I’ve been saying this in our own organization — that business as usual isn’t going to work anymore.
“You’re gonna get left behind and this is an example.”
Reeve said she understands that Clark’s game would be broadcast, and is “all for that.”
“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.”
Reese finished the game with 13 points and nine rebounds in 24 minutes. Cardoso had six points and four rebounds in 13 minutes.
Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon said she was pleased with the rookies’ debuts.
“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.”
News
“Troubled” Clark and Her $20 Million Nike Deal Called into Question as Aces’ Owner Faces WNBA Funding Probe
The Las Vegas Aces are the two-time defending champs but they have taken a backseat to the Indiana Fever due to Caitlin Clark’s arrival in the WNBA. The Fever made the former Iowa superstar the No. 1 pick in this year’s…
Caitlin Had to Sit on the Bench while ‘In Good form’ because of Her own Mistaken Decision, which Led to Heavy Criticism of Her coach. Is this Considered ‘Personal Vendetta’?
Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever suffered their fifth loss of the season, in their fifth game. Clark and the Fever haven’t been able to connect the dots to claw out a victory. They started the season getting blown out by…
“True Friendship” Nika Muhl has always received Support from Former Teammate Paige Bueckers since the Early Days of WNBA “This is the one”. I don’t expect them to be “Competitors” in the future.
Paige Bueckers is following the journey of all her ex-UConn Huskies teammates, who have taken steps into the WNBA. She took to X to share league rookie Nika Muhl’s edgy outfit she chose to wear in the tunnel before a…
Jewell Loyd – Caitlin’s opponent, sent her four messages after the Fever vs. Storm game just took place and the Fever lost five games in a row: “Everyone’s journey is different.”
Not many would understand the pressure that Caitlin Clark feels at any given moment. However, another first-round pick can certainly try to. Although pressing the fact that everyone’s journey in the W is different, Jewell Loyd still shares what her rookie year was like….
Astounding!!! Nika Muhl’s mid-court shot before the Seattle Storm vs Minnesota Lynx game had everyone “gasping”. This is why, despite encountering “unplayable” troubles earlier, Nika always finds a spot in the starting lineup???
Nika Muhl has become a women’s basketball fan favorite over the past two months. While the Croatian guard was already popular among UConn fans during her NCAA tenure, Muhl’s excellent defense against Caitlin Clark during the 2024 NCAA tournament made fans fall…
End of content
No more pages to load