Thursday’s WNBA Finals Game 6, pitting the Golden State Valkyries against the Atlanta Dream, is set to tip off at a jaw-dropping 12:30 p.m. ET at State Farm Arena. Yeah, you read that right: lunch time. This is the first Game 6 in WNBA history, since the Finals just expanded to a best-of-seven last season, and folks, the confusion and straight-up criticism coming down on this decision is absolutely earned for what could be a championship-deciding game. The Valkyries are up 3-2, trying to grab their first franchise title, while the Dream are fighting for their season. How did we even get here with such a unique, and let’s be honest, baffling, start time?
Arena Troubles Are At The Core Of This Mess
The root of this midday Finals debacle goes back to the Dream’s home arena situation. Earlier this month, the Dream announced a multi-year deal to play all their games at State Farm Arena, which is also home to the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, but that doesn’t start until the 2027 season. So, for this season, their primary home is still Gateway Center Arena. Now, Gateway holds just 3,500 people, making it the smallest arena in the entire WNBA. State Farm, on the other hand, boasts a 17,000-person capacity. The Dream managed to move five regular-season games and their first five postseason games to State Farm Arena, which was awesome for ticket demand and fan excitement, but it’s clear they are not the primary tenants there. That’s why these insane scheduling conflicts keep popping up.
Different Owners, More Headaches, And Constant Rescheduling
Adding another layer of difficulty to this whole situation is the fact that, unlike a lot of WNBA and NBA teams in the same city, the Dream and Hawks have different owners. The Dream are owned by Larry and Robyn Gottesdiener, Suzanne Abair, and former Dream player Renee Montgomery. The Hawks are owned by a group led by Tony Ressler. While the franchises have collaborated, these different ownership groups certainly contribute to the logistical challenges we’ve seen throughout this playoff run. The Dream had no problem moving their first round and semifinal games to State Farm, but now that the NBA’s regular season is fully underway, that building has way less flexibility. We already saw it with Games 3 and 4 of the Finals, which had to be totally adjusted. Game 3 got bumped from October 22nd to October 21st, and Game 4 was moved up to 1 p.m. ET just to accommodate a doubleheader with the Hawks’ matchup against the Houston Rockets.
This Game 6 scheduling debacle has been called an “embarrassing end to a historic season,” and you can feel the frustration. The Dream owners have been vocal, saying their team “earned the right to be taken seriously.” When the Valkyries try to make franchise history and the Dream fight to extend their season in a potential championship game, it shouldn’t be happening while half the country is still at work or just sitting down for lunch. It’s wild, man.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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