Schedule Change Turns Dream vs Valkyries WNBA Finals Game 6 into Matinee

There's no doubt that the WNBA Finals matchup between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries has been extremely competitive, but it's also been successful at delivering some unwanted drama, particularly for its fans.

After the location for Game 6 had been left in limbo since the beginning of the series, it was announced that it will now take place on Thursday, October 29 at 12:30 pm ET at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The contest was originally scheduled for Wednesday night, but would have been held at Gateway Center Arena (where the Dream have played most of their home games) then, which only holds 3,500 fans, because the larger venue was accounted for.

This new time is certainly less than ideal for fans given that Game 6 has the potential to be a championship clincher. And not only is it during the workday for many, but it will tip off at 9:30 am on the West Coast, which of course impacts fans of the Valkyries.

The Dream have been successful in relocating major games to State Farm Arena, where they will play in 2027 and beyond. But the Atlanta Hawks have started their season and already had a game scheduled during the original Finals slot.

This isn't the first schedule change fiasco. Prior to the start of the Finals, the date for Game 3 was changed from Thursday, Oct. 22 to Wednesday, Oct. 21 to accommodate a venue change to State Farm Arena to allow for more fans to attend.

The league's decision to move up the game time and change the date for Game 6 creates yet another unique and rather frustrating situation for fans given that it is now taking place during the afternoon. This poor timing may very well impact television viewership. The NBA game between the Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers has also been shifted back to 8 pm that same night.

Moving the start time for Game 6 will allow for a potential Game 7 to remain on schedule for Halloween night back in San Francisco.

After a weekend of nonstop frantic discussions and negotiation, Game 6 of the WNBA Finals will be played Thursday at 12:30 pm at 17,000-seat State Farm Arena in Atlanta, sources told ESPN.

The Atlanta Hawks-Cleveland Cavaliers game that night will move back to 8 pm to… pic.twitter.com/qikx9wHqeR
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) October 26, 2026

Inconvenient Schedule Change Won't Define Historic WNBA Finals

A first-time WNBA champion will finally be crowned by the end of the week after what has been a back-and-forth series thus far.

Angel Reese's evolution was on display in Games 2 and 3, while the Valkyries made lineup shifts mid-series and evened the series in Game 4 as a result.

The series has seen good viewership numbers as well. Game 1 averaged 2.1 million viewers, making it the most-watched WNBA Finals Game 1 in league history.

Game 5 will tip off Monday, Oct. 26 at 8:00 pm at Chase Center in San Francisco on USA Network.

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