For each of the three Atlanta Dream home games in this WNBA Finals series, which arena they would play in has been up in the air. For Games 3 and 4, a decision was reached that seemingly everyone was happy about — from both the WNBA and NBA to Dream fans.
However, things have taken a turn. Game 6 of the Finals will travel back to Atlanta. The game is scheduled for Thursday, October 29. Much like what happened with Game 4, there's already an Atlanta Hawks game scheduled for that date. The Hawks agreed to push their game back by one hour to ensure the Dream and Valkyries can play at State Farm Arena on Thursday. While that's great, fans are not happy with this compromise.
The bizarre settlement and reactions
If both teams want to play at State Farm Arena on the same day, someone has to play in the early slot. That wouldn't be such a big deal if this game were on the weekend, like Game 4 was. But now, we're in a situation where Game 6 of the WNBA Finals — a game that could very well end in confetti falling and a new champion crowned — will be played at 12:30 p.m. ET on a Thursday. That means if you're on the West Coast, I hope you like basketball with your coffee, because the game kicks off at 9:30 a.m. PT.
This has caused quite the uproar, rightfully so. And things only got worse when it was revealed what would happen if a champion is crowned on Thursday. Sportswriter Ramona Shelburne joined ESPN to break the news. She stated, "They have to turn that arena over for the Hawks game. That championship celebration may not be on that court. I've heard there are discussions about whether there's enough time to turn the arena over in time for the fans to celebrate on the court. It could be moved to a practice court." Chiney Ogwumike, former WNBA player and ESPN analyst, simply responded, "You're kidding me."
Ogwumike isn't the only person upset about this. Coach Jackie, a women's sports podcast host and content creator, took to social media. She stated, "There's no way that Game 6 of the WNBA Finals is going to be played at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time on a Thursday... You've rescheduled enough; you can do it again... Someone could become a WNBA champion over brunch?... While you're in a Teams meeting?"
Other possible solutions proposed
Some fans expressed that they'd rather the game be played at the Dream's current home, Gateway Center Arena, if it means the game could be played during primetime. Gateway Center holds approximately 3,500 fans, as opposed to State Farm Arena, the Dream's future home, which holds over 17,000 fans.
Others have questioned why the Hawks couldn't play in the early slot. Unfortunately, both the Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers play games on the night of Wednesday, October 28, before facing each other on Thursday. That turnaround would be unusually fast.
The idea of the Hawks moving their game to a different day has been floated around — it's unclear if that was never presented as an option, or if the Hawks/NBA ownership simply said no. AP basketball writer Doug Feinberg presented a solution of his own on Twitter. He stated, "...I wonder if they considered playing the Hawks game at Gateway Arena that night. Could have been a huge PR win for them, figure out a way to get some of the money from the Dream game back to them."
Former WNBA player and ESPN commentator, Rebecca Lobo seconded Feinberg's proposition. She stated, "I love this idea and think the positive PR for the Hawks would have been worth any loss in ticket revenue for this one game. That being said, the W has to solve the 'playoff arena availability' problem going forward."
Lobo is absolutely correct in her last sentence. These mishaps have been a recurring issue for the WNBA over the past several years. Whether it's the simple lack of planning ahead or other factors, the WNBA must figure out a more permanent solution to avoid these problems. Especially with the WNBA season expanding from 44 games to 50 next season. The playoffs will begin to overlap with the start of the NBA season even more.
Players locked in, no matter the time
Let's be honest, the deed is done. This game will likely tip off at 12:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, whether we like it or not — unless something crazy happens. The players have seemingly already gotten used to the idea, and quite frankly, don't seem too worried about it.
Per Atlanta News First anchor Avery Braxton, when asked about the early start, Atlanta guard Allisha Gray stated, "I mean it's the Finals; you just gotta do what you gotta do. We're locked in on winning Game 6. I don't care if we're playing at 8 a.m., 10 p.m., midnight; We got a championship to win."
Golden State Valkyries players Kiah Stokes and Veronica Burton put out a call to action for their faithful West Coast fans. In the Game 5 postgame press conference, the pair were asked if they had a message to their fans to encourage them to get on board with a 9:30 a.m. local time tip-off. Burton responded, "Yeah, call in sick. I recommend it." Stokes picked up, "Right, like y'all know how to fake a cough. Didn't we all do that?" Burton continued, "We got the best fans in the league, so I'm sure they'll be supporting us, whatever time."
Luckily for Atlanta, they also have some pretty faithful fans. Personally, I was worried about the turnout at State Farm Arena on Thursday. It's a work/school day, people have other responsibilities and there wasn't much notice. But seemingly, I was wrong. USA Network analyst and Dream vice president Renee Montgomery announced during halftime of Game 5 that Game 6 was already sold out. We will have to see how full the stands are.
Even if things are getting started a little earlier than a lot of us WNBA fans hoped, the energy in Atlanta should be as electric as ever. Game 6 is a must-win for the Dream, so there's a good chance they'll need those fans to be the ultimate sixth man.
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