With the WNBA Finals once again finding shelter at State Farm Arena for Game 6, the league avoids a scenario where a potential championship game is played at the Atlanta Dream’s 3,500-seat Gateway Center. However, the game will be played at 12:30 p.m. ET on a Thursday, as the Atlanta Hawks take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in the night at 8 p.m. ET. But despite the arena accommodating around 13,500 more fans than it would have, a new problem arrives. The Golden State Valkyries might not have the best presentation to celebrate a potential historic championship win due to arena workers wanting to get the venue ready again for the Hawks and the Cavs. This is another unideal scenario considering the stakes involved, as ESPN host and former Los Angeles Sparks player Chiney Ogwumike pointed out the WNBA’s poor planning.
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“What are we doing? I’m so sorry… we had an unprecedented eight days in between the WNBA semifinals and the WNBA finals… If you are the league, how did we not get ahead of the circumstances where we’re dealing with these games one by one a few days beforehand instead of pre-planning, because the NBA said if they had a one-week heads-up, they could have accommodated to make sure that this game is in primetime and receiving the eyeballs that it so fully deserves,” Ogwumike said on First Take, per a clip on X.
“So I’m just calling on the mayor of Atlanta, Andre Dickens, who’s been at all games at State Farm, to give get-out-of-school passes, to give get-off-work passes, so that people feel like if they have a ticket, they’re not missing out. But this is a logistical failure and a lack of communication, which has plagued the WNBA leadership over the last year. The players and the fans deserve this to be in primetime. The fact that this was dealt with so last minute is an epic fail, but I’m going to try to take the positive route. The players are still going to show up and do their thing.” Ogwumike added.
Over the past few seasons, the WNBA has demonstrated its ability to sell out arenas, attract millions of viewers, and even command national attention, especially this season. From average team values surging roughly 180% since 2024 and the backing of multi-million-dollar media rights agreements to a landmark Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), it would seem to the average viewer that the WNBA is firing on all cylinders. However, all of this is now working against the league because Game 6 of the WNBA Finals is scheduled at a time when doubts are forming about whether the league is even trying to maximize its current momentum.
The unusual timing is under the microscope even more when we realise the demand for women’s basketball. While the Valkyries have made it a habit of having a full house at Chase Center, selling out more than 51 regular-season and playoff games since its inception, even the Dream sold out Games 3 and 4 at State Farm Arena. And according to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, 10,000 tickets sold for Game 6 within the first two hours.
The numbers don’t lie, so we understand the audience is clearly there. However, the question is whether the decisions made during the WNBA’s biggest moments live up to the league’s growth and investment. Game 6’s timing makes it glaringly obvious what the answer is.
Chiney Ogwumike was not the only one criticizing the scheduling. Former ESPN host Linda Cohn also took aim at the league’s decision-making and revealed how simple it was to avoid the current situation we are in for Game 6.
“A Thursday 12:30 p.m. ET matinee?! Just who will miss a work day exactly to buy tickets in an attempt to fill a 17,000-seat arena? I hope it’s more than 3500! #wnbafinals,” Linda Cohn wrote on X.
“As I’ve been saying for days, this all could have been prevented when the league addressed Games 3 and 4! Instead, they played the wishin’ and hoping game for a short series! Who does that?!” She added in a separate comment.
As for the WNBA, commissioner Cathy Engelbert has not addressed the unusual 12:30 p.m. tip-off time and whether any other options were considered. Instead, she framed it as an opportunity to accommodate more fans and deliver another championship experience in Atlanta.
“The sellout crowds and extraordinary atmosphere at State Farm Arena for Games 3 and 4 were a tremendous success, and we’re excited to give thousands more fans the opportunity to experience Game 6 with a championship on the line. We thank the NBA, Dream, Valkyries, Hawks, State Farm Arena and USA Network for the collaboration and flexibility that made this move possible. We look forward to delivering another unforgettable Finals experience in Atlanta.” Engelbert said.
As for the teams, Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase and Dream head coach Karl Smesko shared the same sentiment that the only difference in early tip-off will be no shootaround. However, Smesko expressed his disappointment for the Dream fans who won’t be able to come to State Farm Arena due to the timing and Game 6 falling on a weekday.
“I hope everyone gets to see it somehow and I know for some people it’s not realistic — they have jobs and won’t be able to make it. I’m disappointed for that, but I’m hopeful as many people can see the game as possible.” Smesko said, according to ESPN.
As for the players, Dream stars Angel Reese and Allisha Gray did not believe game time would be a factor. “It’s the Finals. We just got to do what we’ve got to do. We are locked in on winning Game 6 whether it’s 8 a.m., 10 p.m., midnight. We got a championship to win.” Gray said.
Logistics issues aside, Game 6 is do-or-die for the Dream after the Valkyries came back to lead the series 3-2 after trailing 2-1. Nakase’s defense-minded side has cracked the code in dealing with Finals MVP favorite Reese, who scored just 15 points on 4-of-20 shooting in the last two games. If the Dream want to win their first championship in their fourth WNBA Finals appearance, they will need to do it the hard way. Because even if they force a Game 7, the Dream will have to do it all over again back at Ballhalla. On the court, at least, the Finals have been one for the history books, and it will be interesting to see what the verdict is after Game 6.