WNBA Finals Game 6 tips off at 12:30 p.m. amid scheduling conflict

Nearly 2 million viewers watched Game 4 of the 2026 WNBA Finals, setting a new all-time record for the series. Game 6 of the same series will take place on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. EST, a midday start that has drawn sharp criticism from players and fans.

The Atlanta Dream will host the Golden State Valkyries in a best-of-seven series that currently stands 3-2 in favor of the Valkyries. The match is scheduled for the afternoon because the Dream’s regular home venue, the 5,000-seat Gateway Center Arena, was deemed too small for finals demand. The WNBA moved Games 3 and 4 to State Farm Arena, which seats nearly 17,000, earlier this month.

A scheduling conflict with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks forced the midday slot. The Hawks are scheduled to play the Cleveland Cavaliers at 8 p.m. EST on Thursday night. Rather than shifting the NBA game, the league set the WNBA Finals tip-off for 12:30 p.m. EST.

Chiney Ogwumike, an ESPN basketball analyst, called the scheduling decision an "epic fail" during a broadcast this week. She stated that players and fans deserve a primetime slot and noted that the issue was handled too late. A viral TikTok post from a fan described the 12:30 p.m. start time as "quite literally insane."

The Dream’s owners sent an open letter to Atlanta this week, blaming the WNBA for the timing. The letter stated that the team raised concerns about the venue and schedule months in advance but did not receive the urgency the issue deserved. The WNBA has not publicly responded to the criticism.

Despite the inconvenient time zone for West Coast viewers, who will watch the game at 9:30 a.m. PST, the Atlanta game is sold out. The Valkyries’ players have joked that fans should call in sick from work to watch the game. If the Valkyries win on Thursday, they will secure the first championship in the two-year history of the franchise.

The Walt Disney Company owns both ABC News and ESPN.