Anyone looking to catch today’s WNBA Finals Game 6 may have to take a long lunch.
Instead of an after-work start, the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream will tip off at 12:30 p.m. ET.
This is a critical game for the WNBA, even if it’s not being treated as such. The Valkyries lead 3-2 in the Finals, meaning today’s face-off could be the last for the season.
Why is the game showing at lunchtime?
The official reason for such bizarre timing is that Atlanta’s State Farm Arena has an NBA Atlanta Hawks game scheduled this evening. But the Dream aren’t letting the WNBA get away with that excuse.
“Two months ago, when the WNBA finalized playoff dates and times, we raised concerns that the W Finals schedule conflicted with NBA games at State Farm Arena,” the Dream’s owners wrote in an open letter to fans, shared by Front Office Sports. “As we moved through the playoffs, we reiterated those concerns. Our concerns did not receive the attention, nor the urgency, they deserved.”
The letter continued: “We earned our place in the Finals, and our city deserves the opportunity to show up for its team. Playing a midday game on a Thursday is not what we would have chosen and not what we fought for.”
Fast Company has reached out to the WNBA for comment on the decision. We will update this post if we hear back.
What has the blowback been like?
Rap star Flavor Flav, a staunch advocate of women’s sports across the board, shared a template for anyone asking their boss to take the day off and watch the game.
Hillary Clinton, former first lady, U.S. senator, and secretary of state, shared the post on LinkedIn, stating, “I endorse this message.”
Atlanta Dream has played most of this year’s games at the much smaller Gateway Center Arena, but the owners explained that this game deserved “a world-class stage.” The team also hosted Games 3 and 4 of the Finals at State Farm.
The Hawks pushed back their home season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers so Game 4 could proceed at the venue.
Interest in women’s sports has surged
Women’s sports have seen a surge in interest in recent years. In April, Deloitte Global predicted that women’s elite sports would bring in at least $3 billion globally for 2026—up 340% in just four years.
As this season comes to a close, the WNBA shared that it saw record viewership and attendance, with ESPN, for instance, averaging 1.24 million viewers—a 32% increase from 2025.
Hopefully, next year will see the Dream offered better times. Earlier this month, the team announced a multi-year deal to play all their home games at State Farm starting in 2027.
