ATL News & Analysis

WNBA Finals Game 6 Moved to Thursday 12:30 PM ET for NBA Conflict

The WNBA has rescheduled Game 6 of the Finals between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries to Thursday at 12:30 p.m. ET. The game was originally set for 8 p.m. but was moved to accommodate an NBA game featuring the Atlanta Hawks at the same venue, State Farm Arena. The Atlanta Dream’s ownership expressed disappointment, stating they had raised scheduling concerns two months earlier which were not addressed. They acknowledged that the timing was not ideal but thanked the Hawks and the arena for adjusting their schedules multiple times for the Finals. The unusual afternoon game time sparked wider attention, with rapper Flavor Flav suggesting Thursday become a paid holiday for fans to watch, a proposal supported by former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. This scheduling conflict highlights the challenges of venue sharing between WNBA and NBA teams. For fans and investors, the change in game time could affect viewership and related revenues, as midday weekday games typically attract smaller audiences than evening slots.