The Golden State Valkyries defeated the Atlanta Dream 67-62 on Saturday to level the WNBA Finals at 2-2. The best-of-seven series now returns to California for Game 5 on Monday, with Chase Center set to host the matchup. But even as the series reaches its decisive stretch, questions remain about what comes next. The upcoming game could prove pivotal in determining the champion, yet the league has still not finalized when or where it will take place.

According to a report from ESPN, while Game 6 is expected to take place in Atlanta, its venue and tip-off time remain up in the air. A source told the outlet that tense negotiations involving the WNBA, NBA, Valkyries, Dream, and Atlanta Hawks took place Sunday to figure out the next step, but a resolution remains out of reach. The problem?

The main complication is that the Atlanta Hawks are scheduled to host the Cleveland Cavaliers at State Farm Arena on October 29, the same day as Game 6 of the Valkyries-Dream series. So, the scheduling conflict could cost both leagues millions of dollars, adding further urgency to the search for a solution. 

However, a WNBA spokesperson told ESPN that the league would “continue to explore all options.”

Meanwhile, a Dream spokesperson told ESPN that the team was waiting to hear from the WNBA. And if they don’t hear good news, the team has made up its mind about where Game 6 will be played. 

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

However, a source also told ESPN that “there are problems with all the solutions.”

Another source told the Bristol-based network that the NBA spoke to the Hawks and Cavaliers about potentially moving their game to another day or even moving it to Cleveland.

That prospect made some feel uneasy. Many pointed to the utter chaos of moving the game elsewhere. Not to mention, both the Hawks and Cavaliers are already scheduled to play on Wednesday, which means both teams will see back-to-back action on Thursday!

The Hawks will host the Miami Heat at State Farm Arena on Wednesday, while the Cavaliers will play at home before traveling to Atlanta for Thursday’s matchup. The obvious solution appears to be moving the game to Cleveland, which has been talked about, but this will mean the Hawks will have to play consecutive games on the road. 

So, a new game will have to be organized for the Cavaliers on short notice, which will be a tall order. Plus, Cleveland is scheduled to travel to Milwaukee for a game on Saturday, which could also be affected if Milwaukee hosts Game 7 of the World Series. And Friday is not an easy alternative either. 

The NBA reserves Fridays for NBA Cup games, while the Hawks-Cavaliers matchup is a regular-season game that is not part of the competition. As a result, finding a new date or venue for the NBA game without creating further scheduling conflicts is proving difficult. There’s another solution: State Farm is available on Tuesday. 

Another solution would be to have WNBA Finals Game 6 on Friday, and so, Game 7 would be pushed to Tuesday, November 3. ESPN said the WNBA could back this idea, but both teams would have to agree. That’s where the problem is.

The Valkyries have a problem with it, as they aren’t on board with moving two games and the three off days it would create before each game. A spokesperson for the Valkyries contradicted this source, however.

“We’re proud to be part of such a compelling Finals and love seeing the growth of the game,” the spokesperson said. “We fully support what’s best for the league and will stand behind whatever it decides.” 

Moreover, if a solution is not reached soon, the Chase Center may not be available to host Game 6. The owners of the Valkyries, who also own the Golden State Warriors, have a Warriors home game against the Clippers scheduled for Sunday, November 1.

Although the Hawks and Dream do not share an ownership group, the Hawks have offered to help facilitate the WNBA Finals at State Farm Arena.

Another option discussed was holding Game 6 during the day or in the early afternoon, with the Hawks reportedly open to hosting a doubleheader at State Farm Arena. However, the WNBA is said to be reluctant to schedule a Finals game on a weekday afternoon over a weekend afternoon. Other venues in Atlanta have also been ruled out, as playing at an alternative arena could make it feel like a road game for both teams.

As you can imagine, this situation has created a lot of frustration, especially since it’s not the first time things haven’t been sorted out beforehand. 

WNBA Finals have been plagued with scheduling issues

The uncertainty around Game 6 comes after Game 3 was moved from Thursday to Wednesday, while the Hawks agreed to host a doubleheader with the Dream for Game 4. To accommodate both games, the Hawks also pushed back the start of their home opener by 30 minutes. These adjustments were made primarily to give more fans the chance to watch the games in person.

That’s because the Atlanta Dream’s usual home, Gateway Center Arena, can seat only around 3,500 fans. So, they played all five of their home playoff games at State Farm Arena, which holds about 17,000 people. The demand was evident, too, as Games 3 and 4 sold out quickly after being moved to the larger venue. But now, with Game 6 still up in the air, fans have been asked to hold off on buying tickets until the issue is resolved. 

Although schedule changes are not unusual in the sport, the uncertainty surrounding the WNBA Finals has left even ESPN’s sources frustrated.

“This should’ve been solved weeks ago, and definitely at the same time Games 3 and 4 were solved,” said one source.

“The fact we are making these decisions so we can play a WNBA game at a larger arena is the best news of all,” said another “It just has to be scheduled better in advance. Moving games is much harder now than it would have been a week ago.”

That being said, the State Farm Arena is set to become the Dream’s full-time home starting in 2027, so hosting playoffs for the team should be much easier. But it’s yet to be seen what the future holds for Game 6, which team wins the championship for the first time.