From the picture output is top

The silkscreen refer to:

• SCK -> BCLK PIN 8
• DAT -> DACDAT PIN 10
• SDB -> ADCDAT PIN 9
• MCK -> MCLK PIN 11
• FSA -> LRC PIN 7
• SCL (Silkscreen flipped) -> SCLK PIN 16
• SDA (Silkscreen flipped) -> SDIN PIN 17
• 5V -> SPKVDD

The connections to the ESP32 Dev board should be:

• SCK -> D33
• DAT -> D26
• SDB -> D27
• MCK -> IO0 (Jumper to BOOT)
• FSA -> D25
• SCL -> D18
• SDA -> D19
• 5V -> Not connected

Software side

The steps are:

• Create a simple code like a noise generator.
• Output it, and copy and paste.
• The main looks something like

  // Init audio codec
  WM8978 wm8978;
  wm8978.init();
  wm8978.addaCfg(1,1);
  wm8978.inputCfg(0,0,0);
  wm8978.outputCfg(1,0);
  wm8978.sampleRate(0); 
  wm8978.micGain(30);
  wm8978.auxGain(0);
  wm8978.lineinGain(0);
  wm8978.spkVolSet(0);
  wm8978.hpVolSet(30,30);
  wm8978.i2sCfg(2,0);  //format 12S, length 16bit

  DSP->start();
  DSP->setParamValue("Volume", 0.1); 

Crashes

Most probably is because you dont have enough RAM >.<