If we’re talking issues, or let’s just call it the most talked-about things in the W this season, it’s got to be the officiating and physicality. The Indiana Fever and the Los Angeles Sparks have had their fair share. Remember when Fever HC Stephanie White straight-up called the officiating “egregious”? Or when Kelsey Plum let loose with some postgame profanity after the Sparks’ OT loss to the Valkyries? It’s been chaos. But when these two squads went head-to-head on Thursday, none of that made headlines. Instead, fans found themselves grumbling over something totally different. Something that didn’t even happen on the court.

But before we get into that, let’s talk about what did go down between the lines. First up, Caitlin Clark was out again. That groin strain kept her sidelined for the sixth time this season. The Fever actually led most of the game but went completely cold in the fourth. The Sparks flipped the script and ran away with an 85-75 win. Azurá Stevens stepped up big with 23 points, and Kelsey Plum dropped 21 and six assists off the bench. 

But make no mistake, the first half felt like Indiana’s game. Even though they shot an ugly 29.7% from the field, they were up. Why? Because the defense was on lockdown. The Fever forced 15 turnovers before halftime. Sophie Cunningham and Aliyah Boston were stealing everything in sight. At the end of the third, Indy had built an eight-point cushion, 58-50. 

But the fourth quarter was a whole different story. The Sparks cleaned it up – zero turnovers. They started the final frame on a 19-8 run and never looked back. The killer moment came with less than a minute left. Hamby gets the and-1 to put L.A. up 79-75, misses the freebie, but Stevens snags the rebound, scores, and gets fouled. Made the free throw. 

Just like that, it was 81-75, and the game was basically over. Now, you’d think fans would be going off about the Fever’s late-game meltdown, right? But no. That’s not what had them heated. So, what was the real issue? Broadcast problems. Again. Amazon Prime’s coverage had fans in full meltdown mode. Lag, glitches, and more.

And it’s not like this is the first time either. As much as women’s basketball has grown in visibility, the broadcast side is still playing catch-up, it seems. Fans are so over it and are lashing out on social media. 

Indiana Fever fans can’t catch a break, and Amazon Prime isn’t helping

Watching your favorite team lose is one thing, and not even being able to see what actually went down the court is another kind of frustration. “@WNBAComms @WNBA every game I have tried to watch on Amazon, the video is horrible! Freezes and goes in and out of focus,” one fan tweeted. The WNBA bagged a massive 11-year media rights deal last year that looked all shiny on paper. Disney, Amazon Prime Video, and NBCUniversal all signed on, with plans to split up the playoff rounds and rotate Finals coverage. Seemed like a dream move, right? But what looked like a media win for the league is turning into a streaming nightmare for the fans. It’s one thing to promise coverage; it’s another to deliver it without people squinting through a frozen frame every few seconds.

And that frustration is far from isolated. Another viewer didn’t hold back either, writing, “I hate when they show the WNBA games on Amazon Prime. The quality is a–.” Even worse? The exclusivity. Because let’s say you’ve cut the cord and your go-to is probably DirecTV, Sling, Hulu Live, or Fubo. All of which carry a good chunk of the nationally televised slate. But they don’t touch the Prime Video exclusives. So what was supposed to feel like more options has now morphed into a gatekeeping mess.

Then came another frustrated fan who summed up the vibe perfectly, “Genuinely why tf did I get the League Pass for WNBA if I gotta sign up for Amazon Prime to watch the game tonight?” Because League Pass was supposed to be the answer – $12.99 a month for out-of-market games, replays, and a beautiful archive of old matchups. A dream for hardcore fans and history buffs. But the catch is that if a game’s airing on Prime or ABC, or ESPN, League Pass can’t show it live. So now you’re just left juggling subscriptions. 

Another viewer added, “Just here to say I hate watching a WNBA game on Amazon. It’s the worst.” And it’s not just about sports either. Prime has been messing with people across the board. Just recently, they started tossing in 4–6 minutes of ads per hour during movies and shows, even with a Prime membership. To ditch those ads? You’ve got to pay extra. And still, even with that add-on, unskippable promos and trailers sneak in. That is making fans feel cheated, and subscribers say it’s a bait‑and‑switch. 

Also, don’t even get fans started on the fact that Prime isn’t even filling the in-between time with highlights. “Lol Amazon can’t show some WNBA highlights while we wait for the game sheesh 😂😂🙄” another chimed in, and they weren’t wrong. Because sports are all about energy and rhythm, and showing replays and highlights in breaks is a basic part of that. But Prime just… doesn’t. On top of that, this isn’t new. Back in May, when the Fever played the Atlanta Dream, fans sat down ready to catch the second quarter and instead got a whole block of commercials. 

So, all in all, Prime needs to fix these issues before fans go full tidal ban mode. Here’s hoping someone up top hears all this noise, because right now, fans just want what they paid for. That’s not asking for much, right?