Atlanta Dream Owners Say WNBA Ignored Finals Conflicts, Forcing 12:30 p.m. Game 6
Updated
Updated · CNN · Oct 27
Atlanta Dream Owners Say WNBA Ignored Finals Conflicts, Forcing 12:30 p.m. Game 6
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Oct 27
Summary
Atlanta Dream owners said in an open letter that they warned the WNBA two months ago that Finals dates would clash with State Farm Arena events, but their concerns were largely ignored.
Those conflicts already reshaped Games 3 and 4, and now Game 6 against Golden State will tip at 12:30 p.m. Thursday because the Hawks host Cleveland that night.
Golden State leads the Finals 3-2 and can clinch its first title Thursday, while Dream owners said the daytime slot was not what they wanted for Atlanta fans.
State Farm Arena seats more than 17,000 versus roughly 3,500 at the Dream's usual Gateway Center home, a gap that drove the push to stage the series downtown before the team returns there full-time in 2027.
The dispute also highlights a broader WNBA venue problem: teams have repeatedly moved playoff games for arena availability, including Golden State's 2025 first-round game shifted more than 40 miles to San Jose.