WNBA Finals Game 6 Slotted for 12:30 p.m. Start After Hawks Arena Conflict

The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries tip off Game 6 of the 2026 WNBA Finals at 12:30 p.m. EST on Thursday, a midday slot set after a scheduling clash with the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. The time has drawn criticism from fans and analysts, with a TikTok post calling the start time "quite literally insane."

The scheduling problem began when the WNBA decided the Dream's regular home court could not hold enough fans for the finals. Gateway Center Arena seats 5,000, so the league moved Games 3 and 4 to State Farm Arena, which holds nearly 17,000 and hosts the Hawks.

State Farm Arena then created a conflict for Game 6. The Hawks are set to host the Cleveland Cavaliers at 8 p.m. EST on Thursday. Rather than move the Hawks game, the league set the WNBA game for 12:30 p.m. EST.

The Dream's owners placed the blame on the league. In an open letter to Atlanta this week, the team's ownership wrote that it raised the scheduling issue months ago and that "our concerns did not receive the attention, the urgency that they deserved." The WNBA has not responded publicly to the criticism.

Chiney Ogwumike, a former WNBA player and ESPN analyst, addressed the timing on ESPN this week. "The players, the fans deserve this being in primetime. The fact that this was dealt with so last-minute is an epic fail," Ogwumike said.

Thursday's game is sold out. Game 4 of the series drew nearly 2 million viewers, the most-watched WNBA Finals game on record. The Valkyries lead the series 3-2 and can win the franchise's first championship on Thursday; their players have encouraged fans to call in sick to work, since the game airs at 9:30 a.m. PST.