Chicago Sky fans can’t wait to get their first look at rookies Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese will have their first opportunity Tuesday evening. And after outcry from fans and players, the game will be available for streaming.
Tuesday’s game against the New York Liberty at Wintrust Arena will be broadcast on WNBA League Pass, the team confirmed to the Tribune. Announcers Jason Ross Jr. and Shimmy Gray-Miller will set the tone.
Access to preseason broadcasts has quickly become a controversial topic for the WNBA, on the heels of one of the most anticipated draft classes in league history.
After the poorly indicated application With the entire opening slate for preseason games reportedly available through WNBA League Pass, fans began to take the issue into their own hands. Minnesota Lynx fan Alli Schneider livestreamed the entirety of Friday’s match against Sky on X, gaining over 250,000 active viewers, including Sue Bird, former WNBA star.
Although the live broadcast provided a shaky view of the game, the lack of access caused frustration across the league.
“I’m still not done with this.” striker Isabelle Harrison wrote on. “The 2023 and 2024 national champions had their first W game streamed on a cell phone. Either way. My tricks deserved this match to be televised.
I’m still not done with this.
The 2023 and 2024 national champions had their first W game streamed on a cell phone.
Either way. My tricks deserved this match to be televised.
-Isabelle Harrison (@OMG_itsizzyb) May 5, 2024
Providing live streams or broadcasts of preseason games is a relatively new endeavor for both the WNBA and Sky. While the entire NBA preseason is broadcast via local affiliates and League Pass, the WNBA has selected two preseason games to offer in 2023: its annual exhibition game in Canada and the first preseason game. season of the No. 1 draft pick. There were no preseason games broadcast in 2022.
This year, the league expanded that broadcast offering to four games, adding another game featuring No. 1 pick Caitlin Clark (Atlanta vs. Indiana on May 9) and a game featuring No. 2 pick Cameron Brink (Los Angeles vs. Phoenix on May 10). ). But the influx of attention brought by players like Clark, Brink, Cardoso and Reese fueled a new desire for broadcast accessibility that the league wasn’t ready to accommodate — at least during the preseason.
The WNBA will produce the Canada and Fever-Dream games, while the local teams (Wings and Mercury) will produce the other two.
The Sky will begin the regular season on the road against the Dallas Wings on May 15.
