The Atlanta Dream have criticized the handling of their WNBA Finals scheduling, saying their concerns about securing a suitable venue were not given the urgency they deserved and that moving Game 6 to an early afternoon tipoff was not the outcome the organization had sought.
In an open letter addressed to the city of Atlanta, the Dream said they had raised concerns about potential scheduling conflicts well before the postseason. The latest adjustment will see Game 6 against the Golden State Valkyries tip off Thursday at 12:30 p.m. ET, rather than its originally scheduled 8 p.m. start.
The change became necessary after the game was moved to State Farm Arena, home of the Atlanta Hawks, to accommodate the larger crowds expected for a Finals matchup with a championship at stake.
While the move gives more fans an opportunity to attend, the Dream said the circumstances surrounding the schedule change were frustrating.
Dream Say Scheduling Concerns Were Raised Months Ago
The Dream explained that they had flagged potential conflicts involving WNBA playoff dates and NBA games at State Farm Arena approximately two months before the Finals.
According to the organization, those concerns were raised again as the postseason progressed, but the team believes they did not receive an appropriate response.
In their letter, the Dream said their concerns “did not receive the attention, nor the urgency that they deserved.”
Sources told ESPN's Alexa Philippou that the 2026 playoff dates had been distributed internally to teams on Dec. 4, 2025.
The scheduling complications eventually required discussions involving the WNBA, the Dream, the Valkyries, the Hawks, the NBA and broadcast partners. Negotiations continued over the weekend as the parties worked to find an arrangement that could accommodate the competing demands.
The Dream acknowledged that playing at State Farm Arena was important to their supporters, even though it created additional scheduling challenges.
“As much as we have great affection and nostalgia for Gateway Center Arena, we believed that our fans and the city wanted the opportunity to be a part of this historic series, and to see it played on a world-class stage,” the letter stated. “That meant State Farm Arena.”
State Farm Arena Creates Scheduling Challenges
The Dream's regular home venue, Gateway Center Arena, seats approximately 3,500 spectators. State Farm Arena, by comparison, can accommodate roughly 17,000 fans, making it a substantially larger venue for the Finals.
Atlanta played its home postseason games at State Farm Arena, and the increased capacity helped more supporters experience the championship series in person.
However, the arena is also home to the Hawks, whose NBA schedule created complications as the WNBA Finals progressed.
Game 4 required the Hawks' home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers to be moved to an 8:30 p.m. start last Saturday. The Game 6 adjustment has created another change, with the Hawks-Cavaliers matchup on Thursday now scheduled for 8 p.m.
All three Finals games played in Atlanta have required last-minute scheduling adjustments, according to the supplied report.
The WNBA and NBA also explored alternatives that would have allowed Game 6 to remain in primetime, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported. However, both the Hawks and Cavaliers are scheduled to play Wednesday night, limiting the available options for an earlier NBA tipoff on Thursday.
The resulting 12:30 p.m. start allows the games to proceed at State Farm Arena but creates a significant inconvenience for fans who would ordinarily attend or watch during the evening.
Dream Coach Disappointed by Early Start
Atlanta coach Karl Smesko acknowledged that the new start time could prevent some supporters from watching the decisive game.
Speaking before Game 5 in San Francisco, Smesko said he hoped fans would find a way to follow the matchup despite the unusual scheduling.
“I hope everyone gets to see it somehow, and I know for some people it's not realistic — they have jobs and won't be able to make it,” Smesko said. “I'm disappointed for that, but I'm hopeful as many people as possible can see the game.”
His comments reflected the tension between making a larger venue available and ensuring that fans can realistically attend or watch a championship game.
For supporters working traditional daytime hours, the new start time could make it difficult to follow the contest live. The same issue applies to fans watching from California, where the game is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. local time.
WNBA Commissioner Thanks Teams for Flexibility
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert defended the broader effort to make Game 6 available to a larger Atlanta audience, pointing to the atmosphere and attendance at the previous Finals games held at State Farm Arena.
In a statement Monday, Engelbert praised the crowds that attended Games 3 and 4 and said the league was looking forward to welcoming even more fans for a championship game.
“The sellout crowds and extraordinary atmosphere at State Farm Arena for Games 3 and 4 were a tremendous success, and we're excited to give thousands more fans the opportunity to experience Game 6 with a championship on the line,” Engelbert said.
She also thanked the organizations and partners involved in arranging the change, including the NBA, both Finals teams, the Hawks, State Farm Arena and USA Network.
“We look forward to delivering another unforgettable Finals experience in Atlanta,” Engelbert added.
The statement emphasized the collaborative effort behind the revised schedule, although the Dream's letter made clear that the franchise remained dissatisfied with how its earlier warnings had been handled.
Valkyries Encourage Fans to Tune In Early
The unusual start time also presents a challenge for Golden State supporters.
Valkyries players Kiah Stokes and Veronica Burton encouraged fans in the Bay Area to call in sick if necessary to watch the game. Coach Natalie Nakase, meanwhile, expressed confidence that Golden State supporters would find a way to follow the Finals despite the early local tipoff.
Atlanta's players appeared less concerned about the schedule itself.
Dream players Allisha Gray, Jordin Canada and Angel Reese dismissed the unusual start time as a secondary consideration compared with the opportunity to compete for a championship.
“It's the Finals,” Gray said. “We just got to do what we've got to do. We are locked in on winning Game 6 whether it's 8 a.m., 10 p.m., midnight. We got a championship to win.”
Championship Stakes Overshadow Scheduling Dispute
The revised schedule has exposed the logistical difficulties of hosting a major women's basketball event in an arena shared with an NBA team, particularly when playoff dates and television commitments overlap.
For Atlanta, moving the Finals to State Farm Arena provided a chance to welcome thousands of additional fans. But the Dream argue that the resulting complications could have been addressed more effectively if their concerns had received greater attention earlier.
With Game 6 scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET Thursday, the focus will return to the court as Atlanta and Golden State compete with a championship on the line.
The Dream have made their dissatisfaction with the scheduling process clear. Their players, however, have emphasized that the priority remains the same regardless of the unusual tipoff: winning the game.
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