South Carolina Basketball: Nearly 200,000 fans tuned in via iPhone stream to watch Kamilla Cardoso's WNBA debut

South Carolina basketball fans were disappointed on Friday night that the Minnesota Lynx vs. Minnesota Sky preseason game was not available to be watched or streamed anywhere. Kamilla Cardoso's professional debut was only going to be seen by those in attendance in Minneapolis.

It seemed like an odd decision from the WNBA not to make sure the game was televised or streamed in some way, especially since Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese were making their pro debuts for the Sky (for those wondering, Cardoso got the #10, a number both players donned while rivals in college) and Hall of Fame player Teresa Weatherspoon was coaching her first WNBA game as a head coach. Even so, the game wasn't available for the masses.

One fan made sure things didn't stay that way.

A Minnesota Lynx fan with the Twitter/X handle @heyheyitsalli began a live stream on her phone, and WNBA fans responded in a major way. For the preseason contest, nearly 200,000 viewers tuned into the social media live stream.

The game ended with the Lynx taking home the preseason victory by a score of 92-81, but the streaming numbers showed just how far the women's game has come in the public eye and the role that South Carolina basketball stars like Kamilla Cardoso have played in getting those numbers to the place they are today.

Cardoso didn't play much (just 13 minutes) because she was banged up in the game. Even so, she scored 6 points (on 3-5 shooting), pulled down 4 rebounds, blocked 2 shots, dished out an assist, and had a steal. Coach Weatherspoon made sure to emphasize after the game that Cardoso would be fine and that her removal from the game was only precautionary after a hard fall.

The Sky and the Lynx will play again to open the regular season on May 19th in Minneapolis.