WNBA Finals Game 6 Facing Afternoon Kickoff Amidst Arena Scheduling Conflict

Game 6 of the WNBA Finals, a potential title-clinching matchup between the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries, is scheduled to take place at State Farm Arena on Thursday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. ET. This unusual weekday afternoon start time for a championship series game is due to a scheduling conflict with the NBA's Atlanta Hawks.

The Hawks are slated to host the Cleveland Cavaliers at State Farm Arena on Thursday evening. To accommodate the Hawks' schedule, the WNBA Finals game was moved from its original 8 p.m. ET start time. The Hawks’ game start time was also shifted by one hour, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET.

The WNBA opted to utilize the larger capacity of State Farm Arena, which can hold approximately 17,000 spectators, compared to the Dream's usual home venue, the Gateway Center Arena, which has a capacity of 3,500. This decision was influenced by the Dream's strong fan support and sold-out crowds during the Finals.

Previous adjustments to the Finals schedule included moving Game 3 from Oct. 22 to Oct. 21 to avoid a concert conflict. Game 4 was also moved to an afternoon start on Saturday to accommodate the Hawks' home opener that same night.

Alternative venues were considered, including the Dream's regular home court, but the limited seating capacity made it less feasible. Other potential venues in the Atlanta area, such as Georgia Tech’s McCamish Pavilion and the Georgia State Convention Center, were also reportedly explored.

Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese acknowledged the significant fan support during the Finals, stating her desire to play at State Farm Arena if possible. The team will focus on Game 5 in San Francisco on Monday night before returning to Atlanta for Game 6. The game will be broadcast on USA Network and streamed on Peacock.