The Atlanta Dream overcame the Golden State Valkyries 80-69 to force a Game 7, with Angel Reese recording a record-breaking double-double. However, their fight for a place in the WNBA Finals history books wasn’t their only challenge. Scheduling problems had become a major talking point throughout the series. The WNBA team’s move from the 3,500-seat Gateway Center Arena to the approximately 17,000-seat State Farm Arena brought a fresh set of complications with every home game.

Game 6 was the latest example. With the Atlanta Hawks scheduled to play at the same venue that evening, the Dream were pushed out of primetime and forced to tip off at 12:30 p.m. The decision drew criticism, including from a former NBA champion, Ron Harper, who took to X to call out the scheduling issue.

“Why is the @WNBA FINALS AT 12:30????? Move that @NBA @ATLHawks game to noon they never made a finals!!!!!! EVER!!!!!”

Harper, who helped the Bulls eliminate Atlanta in the 1997 Eastern Conference Semifinals, noted that the Atlanta Hawks have never reached the NBA Finals (though the franchise won the 1958 title as the St. Louis Hawks).

However, the proposal from the five-time NBA champion overlooked a major scheduling issue. The Hawks and Cavaliers had played the previous night. Moving their game to an early afternoon tipoff would have forced both teams to play on a back-to-back with even less recovery time.

Game 6 was not the only time that created a clash with the Hawks. Game 3 was initially scheduled for October 22 but had to be moved up a day because the arena was hosting a concert. Two days later, Game 4 also faced a scheduling clash with the Hawks’ home opener against the Houston Rockets.

The Dream adjusted their tipoff to 1 p.m. ET, allowing the Hawks to take the floor later that evening at around 8:30 p.m. The biggest challenge came ahead of Game 6 on October 29. Travel and the arena’s turnaround requirements added to the problem. As a result, the Dream had to move their game from 8 p.m. ET to 12:30 p.m. ET. The team’s ownership group said the league had been warned about these potential conflicts months earlier.

Larry and Robyn Gottesdiener, Suzanne Abair, and Renee Montgomery claimed they raised the issue two months before the WNBA finalized its playoff schedule. They brought it up again during the postseason but felt their concerns “did not receive the attention, nor the urgency that they deserved.” The owners also stressed that a midday Thursday game was never their preferred outcome.

They described the new start time as “not what we would have chosen and not what we fought for.” However, they acknowledged the cooperation of the Hawks and State Farm Arena, thanking both for adjusting their schedules “not once, but three times” to accommodate the Finals. Even with that cooperation, the change hurt the event commercially.

Once the WNBA announced the new tipoff time, Game 6 ticket prices plunged. TickPick reported that the cheapest available ticket fell from $156 to just $23. Despite the game being a sellout, secondary-market prices collapsed, reducing perceived value and reseller revenue.

Ron Harper was not the only one calling out the decision. Draymond Green on his show said “ridiculous.” While Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes’ father, Renard Hayes said “it’s the league’s fault.”

The Dream still made the most of the opportunity, defeating the Valkyries to force a deciding Game 7. The matchup, the first Game 7 in WNBA Finals history, was scheduled for October 31 at 8 p.m. ET in San Francisco.