WNBA fans were still questioning the scheduling decision Thursday when the potential clinching game of the 2026 Finals tipped off at 12:30 p.m. Eastern time because of local arena availability.
For Golden State Valkyries supporters on the West Coast, that meant tuning in at about 9:30 a.m. to find out whether their team could capture the WNBA championship with a Game 6 victory over the Atlanta Dream.
“Why is there a WNBA FINALS game being played right now?!” one stunned fan asked on X. “It’s 1 p.m. on a non-holiday.”
Another fan described staging the “WNBA FINALS in the middle of the afternoon” as “nasty work.”
Atlanta had originally been scheduled to host Golden State at the considerably smaller Gateway Center Arena in the suburbs. However, overwhelming demand for tickets prompted the Dream to move the game to the larger State Farm Arena.
The venue’s primary tenant, the Atlanta Hawks, were due to play the Cleveland Cavaliers at 8 p.m. Thursday. As a result, Game 6 was moved to 12:30 p.m. local time. Despite the unusual start, the Dream and Valkyries sold out State Farm Arena, with Grammy-winning musician Usher and comedian Wanda Sykes among the celebrities in attendance.
Naz Hillmon #00 of the Atlanta Dream celebrates during the game against the Valkyries
Tiffany Hayes #15 of the Golden State Valkyries drives between Allisha Gray #15 and Naz Hillmon #00 of the Atlanta Dream during the third quarter of Game 6
Usher was part of the sellout crowd in Atlanta for the afternoon WNBA Finals game at State Farm Arena
In San Francisco, meanwhile, Valkyries fans gathered around the team’s home arena for breakfast, basketball and watch-party festivities at the surrounding food courts.
Even so, the early start continued to frustrate many fans online.
“The fact that this WNBA Finals Game 6 is on at noon should be a crime,” one critic wrote on X.
“WNBA finals being played at this time is diabolical,” another fan added.
The Valkyries, however, said they were prepared for the unusual tip-off.
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“We prepared for this,” Golden State coach Natalie Nakase said before Thursday’s game. “We knew when they announced it. We’re good.”
Golden State’s late surge in the series followed a lineup adjustment by Nakase during the Valkyries’ 67-62 Game 4 victory. She inserted Tiffany Hayes and Kaila Charles into the starting lineup, while Kayla Thornton and Cecilia Zandalasini moved to the bench. That revamped starting five then delivered a 64-55 win in Game 5.
Valkyries fan Cynthia Cheak cheers over breakfast at Splash restaurant in Chase Center’s Thrive City plaza on Thursday. The watch party drew a strong crowd despite the early tip-off
Fans gather for the Golden State Valkyries’ watch party at Chase Center’s Thrive City plaza
Sika Lopez and her 11-year-old daughter, Kendra, missed work and school to attend the Golden State Valkyries’ watch party at Chase Center’s Thrive City plaza on Thursday morning
Joshua Padilla and his daughters, Malia, 10, and Mariah, 15, traveled from Santa Clara for the Golden State Valkyries’ watch party in San Francisco on Thursday morning
Wanda Sykes attends Game 6 of the 2026 WNBA Finals between the Valkyries and the Dream
Hayes spent 10 seasons with Atlanta before coming out of retirement two years ago.
Nakase said the decision to alter the lineup was straightforward. “We just needed something different, really,” she said before Thursday’s game. “I’m just going with my gut.”
She also praised her players for embracing the changes without friction. “Zero tension … no ego. They were amazing,” Nakase said.
Dream coach Karl Smesko, meanwhile, is searching for a way to restore the offensive rhythm Atlanta showed while winning two of the series’ first three games.
Smesko has also voiced frustration with the officiating throughout the Finals.
“It’s hard to plan because you don’t know on which day if it’s going to be tight or if they’re going to let as much contact as has been going on the last couple games,” Smesko said Wednesday. “You just hope that it’s called the same way that it’s supposed to be called all year.”
The Dream must win Game 6 to force a decisive Game 7 on Saturday night in California.
