WNBA Finals Game 6 Set for Thursday Afternoon at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena

Game 6 of the WNBA Finals between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries will take place Thursday at 12:30 p.m. ET at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, following days of scheduling discussions and negotiations.

The decision keeps the championship series on its existing timeline while allowing Atlanta’s NBA team to play at the same venue later that evening.

Hawks-Cavaliers Game Moved to 8 p.m.

The Atlanta Hawks’ matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers has been rescheduled for an 8 p.m. ET tipoff Thursday to accommodate the WNBA Finals doubleheader. Atlanta previously made a similar adjustment to its NBA schedule for Game 4 of the series.

The revised schedule also preserves the possibility of a decisive Game 7 on Halloween at Chase Center in San Francisco, the Valkyries’ home arena.

With the championship still potentially on the line, league officials and venue operators faced the challenge of coordinating two major basketball events at the same arena on one day.

Multiple Schedule Changes in Atlanta

All three Finals games hosted in Atlanta have required last-minute scheduling adjustments at State Farm Arena. Organizing the latest matchup involved cooperation among the WNBA, NBA, Atlanta Hawks, State Farm Arena, Dream, Valkyries and their broadcast partners.

The Thursday afternoon start was selected to avoid moving a potential championship-deciding contest to Gateway Center, the Dream’s smaller home venue, which seats approximately 3,500 spectators.

State Farm Arena, by comparison, can accommodate around 17,000 fans, making it the preferred location for a game of this magnitude.

Friday Was Considered as an Alternative

Organizers also considered moving Game 6 to Friday, when State Farm Arena had an available date. Under that proposal, a potential Game 7 would have shifted to Tuesday, Nov. 3, at Chase Center.

Ultimately, the Thursday afternoon arrangement allowed the Finals to remain closer to their original schedule while preserving the larger Atlanta venue for Game 6.

The Dream and Valkyries will now meet Thursday with the championship series continuing in Atlanta. If the series requires a seventh game, the teams are scheduled to return to San Francisco on Halloween.