In an open letter addressed to the city, the Dream said concerns they had over the availability of a properly sized venue for WNBA Finals games in Atlanta went unheeded, and that moving Game 6 up to 12:30 p.m. ET was "not what we fought for."
Game 6 between the Dream and Golden State Valkyries will be played Thursday at 12:30 p.m. instead of the originally scheduled 8 p.m. The shift was a result of the game moving to State Farm Arena, the home of the Atlanta Hawks. The Dream have played all their home games this postseason at State Farm Arena, which seats roughly 17,000 fans. Their home court, Gateway Center, fits just 3,500. To accommodate Game 6, the Hawks' home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers that night moves back one hour to 8 p.m.
In the letter, the Dream said they had raised concerns about potential playoff scheduling and dates that overlapped with NBA games at the arena two months ago. The organization said that while it reiterated the issues as the playoffs went on, "our concerns did not receive the attention, nor the urgency that they deserved." Sources told ESPN that the dates for the 2026 playoffs were sent internally to teams on Dec. 4, 2025.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert praised the sellout crowds at State Farm Arena for Games 3 and 4 and thanked the partners involved in the move. Valkyries players Kiah Stokes and Veronica Burton encouraged Bay Area fans to call in sick to watch the 9:30 a.m. tipoff, while Dream players including Allisha Gray brushed aside the time as a nonfactor. "We got a championship to win," Gray said.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing