With the WNBA Finals tied at 2-2 between the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries, a Game 6 is now guaranteed. The Atlanta Dream are scheduled to host that game at State Farm Arena on Thursday, October 29, but there is a significant problem. The NBA’s Atlanta Hawks are already scheduled to host the Cleveland Cavaliers at that exact same venue on that exact same night.

So, one of the two games will have to be moved. And according to multiple NBA executives, senior ESPN journalist Ramona Shelburne reports that it is unlikely to be the Hawks game. 

“I’ve heard from several NBA executives about this situation today,” Shelburne wrote on X. “The general sentiment is that NBA games can be moved, but it’s extremely difficult two days in advance. There are employees to schedule, tickets to sell, travel and player health to consider. A few weeks ago, it would have been a lot easier to move a game to Cleveland or from Thursday to Friday, creating back-to-backs for both teams. But last-minute changes are very challenging.”

The Atlanta Dream have been navigating this kind of scheduling issue repeatedly throughout this entire Finals run. Games 3 and 4 also both required significant logistical gymnastics to avoid arena conflicts before solutions could be found.

Specifically, Game 3 was moved up an entire day, from Thursday to Wednesday, October 21, to bypass a prior concert booking at State Farm Arena. In the same vein, Game 4 was shifted to an earlier afternoon tip-off at 1:00 PM ET so that arena crews could execute a quick turnaround before the Atlanta Hawks’ home opener later that same evening.

The alternative to these adjustments, which remains a possibility for Game 6, is for the Atlanta Dream to move the contest to their regular-season home, Gateway Center Arena. The venue holds only 3,500 fans. 

That would represent a dramatic reduction from State Farm Arena’s 17,000-plus capacity, and would cost both leagues significant revenue from tickets and gate receipts during what is arguably the most high-profile WNBA Finals in recent history.

Other possible alternatives include rescheduling Game 6 entirely, as the WNBA did with Game 3, or potentially arranging another double-header arrangement similar to Game 4, though that option carries its own logistical challenges at such short notice.

As of now, a final decision on the Game 6 venue has yet to be announced. The outcome will have meaningful implications for both the WNBA’s visibility and the Dream’s home-court atmosphere at the most critical moment of their franchise’s history.

Atlanta Dream Await WNBA Decision on State Farm Arena as Gateway Center Remains Backup Option

Whether any rescheduling takes place for Game 6 is a decision that rests entirely with the WNBA. And as shared by an Atlanta Dream spokesperson in an official statement, the franchise is currently waiting on exactly that. 

“We are waiting to hear from the league if any changes can be made to allow us to play in State Farm Arena. If not, the game will be played in Gateway Center Arena,” the statement read.

According to a WNBA spokesperson, the league is also actively exploring all available options before arriving at a final determination. 

While the situation is drawing considerable attention and creating no shortage of logistical headaches, the immediate focus for both franchises remains on Game 5, which takes place at Chase Center in San Francisco on Monday night.

The series stands at 2-2, with the Atlanta Dream winning Games 2 and 3 and the Golden State Valkyries taking Games 1 and 4. Should the teams continue to alternate wins, a Game 7 would follow, currently scheduled to be hosted by the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center on Saturday, October 31. 

For now, the venue conversation around Game 6 remains unresolved. But with the championship on the line and the entire basketball world watching, a solution will need to be found, and quickly.