When Chicago’s Wintrust Arena opened its doors for the anticipated return of Angel Reese to the Windy City, fans and analysts expected a night filled with excitement, energy, and a show of support for one of the sport’s most well-known rookies. Instead, the event was overshadowed by a shockingly low attendance and a game riddled with missed opportunities on the court, prompting a broader conversation about the challenges facing the WNBA—and whether even rising stars like Reese can turn the tide.
Quiet Crowds Greet a Sporting Star
Angel Reese’s arrival in the WNBA was met with enormous hype. After an electrifying collegiate career at LSU—culminating in a national championship where she became a household name—Reese was drafted by the Chicago Sky in 2024 with high expectations. Fans and pundits alike heralded her as not just a force under the boards but also as a charismatic presence capable of transforming the league’s popularity.
Yet as the Sky hosted their latest home game—with Reese back in the lineup after a brief absence—the scene inside Wintrust Arena was hardly the raucous celebration many had envisioned. Entire sections appeared dotted with empty blue seats, with estimates suggesting upwards of 3,000 seats remained unsold. For a city with a rich tradition of embracing new sports heroes, the lack of turnout spoke volumes.
Where Are the Fans?
To understand the low attendance, one must look past the box score and into some of the enduring issues plaguing the WNBA. The league, now in its 28th season, has seen growth in television ratings and social media presence, especially when stars like Reese or Caitlin Clark take the court. However, translating this buzz into consistent in-person attendance continues to be a struggle.
Part of the challenge lies in marketing and scheduling. While the NBA playoffs captivate the country through May and June, the WNBA often finds itself competing for attention. Add to this the persistent cultural barriers—age-old dismissals of women’s sports, lingering stereotypes about athleticism and entertainment value—and the result is too often an indifferent or invisible local crowd.
It isn’t that Chicago doesn’t support women’s basketball. This is, after all, a city that has celebrated the exploits of Candace Parker and cheered Sky to a 2021 WNBA championship. But Tuesday night, as also captured by a flurry of social media posts, was a tangible reminder that building day-in, day-out audience loyalty remains a mountain yet to be climbed.
A Night of Missed Opportunities—On and Off the Court
On the hardwood, the Sky and their fans had reason to hope Reese’s return would inject fresh energy and sharpness. Instead, the game became emblematic of the team’s broader struggles. The Sky, facing a beatable opponent, failed to capitalize on easy opportunities. Missed layups—those fundamental, high-percentage shots—piled up in the box score, drawing groans from the crowd and audible frustration from the bench.
Angel Reese herself showed flashes of brilliance, as she always does, with her hustle on the boards and her skill in transition. But like her teammates, she, too, seemed unsettled by the energy—or lack thereof—of the largely empty arena. It’s a cocktail of lowered adrenaline and a muted home-court advantage that can sap even the best players’ confidence.
“I always play hard, no matter what,” Reese said in the post-game press scrum. “But it’s always more fun when the fans are there, loud, cheering us on. We feed off that energy. Tonight… I wish more could have made it out.”
Is the Problem the Product—or the Perception?
Critics and fans were quick to debate the cause of the lackluster support. Some pointed a finger at the quality of play, lamenting not just the Sky’s missed shots, but moments of sloppy execution on both sides that occasionally left the game languishing at a pedestrian pace.
Others, though, point out that even the NBA has its share of off-nights, and that the bar for women athletes always seems to be set higher. “If a men’s game is poorly played, we say it’s just a bad game,” veteran women’s basketball writer Vicki Johnson observed. “With the WNBA, one bad night and people act like it’s the death of women’s sports. It’s not fair.”
What’s clear is that the league’s emerging stars—including Angel Reese—are doing their part to drive buzz and visibility. Reese is not just a power forward. She’s a brand, a social media influencer, and a vocal spokesperson for her sport. Her mere presence draws eyes and clicks—as evidenced by the online storm every time she takes the floor—but that hasn’t yet translated consistently at the box office.
The Road Ahead: Can Star Power Change the Game?
The empty seats in Chicago weren’t just a Sky problem—they reflect a broader WNBA challenge. On the one hand, the league has never been more visible on national media, never more connected to a digitally native fanbase, and never closer to parity in terms of athleticism and skill with the men’s game.
On the other, until those digital fans start buying tickets—and organizations invest more in local outreach, creative marketing, and building game-day traditions—the league will keep struggling to fill arenas on Tuesday nights in June.
For Angel Reese, the journey is just beginning. She remains one of the brightest young talents in the world, and her best days as a professional undoubtedly lie ahead. But her homecoming in Chicago—marked by missed layups, muted cheers, and an ocean of empty blue chairs—was a sobering reminder of the work still to be done.
“The only way things change is if we keep showing up and showing out,” Reese told reporters as the night drew to a close. “I’ll keep bringing it every game. I hope the fans come along for the ride.”
Only time will tell if her hope becomes reality—or if more empty seats will haunt the league’s future.
