WNBA Finals Game 6 Rescheduled to Midday to Accommodate NBA Match
Game 6 of the WNBA finals between the Golden State Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream was moved to a 12:30 p.m. ET slot to avoid conflict with an NBA game, prompting criticism from the Dream organization.
The Women's National Basketball Association announced that Game 6 of the finals, featuring the Golden State Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream, will be played at 12:30 p.m. ET on Thursday instead of the originally planned 8 p.m. slot. The change allows the NBA regular-season contest between the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers to remain in the prime-time window.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the league appreciated the cooperation of the NBA, the teams and the venue, adding that the move would give “thousands more fans the opportunity to experience Game 6 with a championship on the line.”
The shift places the game in State Farm Arena, which can hold more than 17,000 spectators, far larger than the Dream’s usual home arena in College Park, which seats about 3,500. The Dream’s ownership, in an open letter posted on Reddit, said it had raised scheduling concerns two months earlier but felt the issues were not addressed with sufficient urgency.
A Dream spokesperson noted that tickets for the Thursday game sold out quickly, with over 10,000 sold within the first 90 minutes of sales. The Valkyries’ players Kiah Stokes and Veronica Burton responded to the timing change with humor, suggesting fans might call in sick to watch the early broadcast.
Attendance across the WNBA this season reached a record 3.8 million, with an average of roughly 11,500 fans per game, marking a 4.5 percent increase over the previous year.