Valkyries seek title in noon start for WNBA Finals Game 6

Summarised from 6 outlets · Updated 29 Oct, 16:15 · Archive

The Golden State Valkyries will play the Atlanta Dream at 12:30 p.m. ET on Thursday in Game 6 of the WNBA Finals, with a championship on the line.

The Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream will meet for Game 6 of the WNBA Finals on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. ET, an unusual midday start for a championship-deciding game. The Valkyries lead the series 3-2 and can claim the title with a win. A Dream victory would force Game 7 on Saturday, 31 October, the first Game 7 in WNBA Finals history.

The scheduling conflict arose because the Dream have played all their playoff games at Atlanta's State Farm Arena, home of the Hawks, which seats 17,000. The Dream's usual home, Gateway Center Arena, holds only about 3,500. The Hawks are scheduled to play the Cavaliers at State Farm later on Thursday evening. Rather than move one team's game, the WNBA, NBA, Hawks, Dream and Valkyries agreed to push the Hawks game to 8 p.m. ET and schedule the Finals at noon, allowing time to switch court branding between matches.

The Dream said in an open letter that it had raised concerns about potential scheduling conflicts two months earlier, which it said were ignored by the WNBA. Despite the unusual time slot, the Dream reports that the game is a sellout, with more than 10,000 tickets sold in the first 90 minutes they were on sale.

Atlanta coach Karl Smesko said he hoped as many people as possible could watch the game despite the timing, acknowledging that some would be unable to attend due to work commitments. Golden State guard Veronica Burton joked that fans should 'call in sick'.

The Valkyries won Game 5 by 64-55, with centre Kiah Stokes and guard Veronica Burton each scoring 13 points. Coach Natalie Nakase said after that victory that the team needed to 'level up' against 'a very ruthless Atlanta team' that 'wants it just as much'.

How it is being reported

• Dream, Valkyries leave court before TI’s 10-year-old daughter sings WNBA Finals anthemWNBA Finals fans at State Farm Arena share divided opinions as Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries skip the anthem for a sixth straight game.Fox News · 29 Oct, 17:42
• WNBA fans vent their fury as Finals Game 6 gets underway in the middle of the day after Atlanta arena chaosWNBA fans were still fuming on Thursday as the potential deciding game of the 2026 finals was tipped off at 12:30pm EST due to local arena scheduling issues.Daily Mail Sport · 29 Oct, 17:36
• Golden State Valkyries v Atlanta Dream: WNBA finals 2026 Game 6 – liveValkyries host Dream in opener of best-of-seven series Dream say concerns went unheeded for 12.30pm start Reach out to Ella on Bluesky or by email The Dream have said that even with the matinee tip-off, this game will be a sellout. More than 10,000 tickets were sold in the first 90 minutes they were put on sale. The Hawks-Cavaliers game tonight was pushed from 7pm ET to 8pm ET, so there will be enough time to switch the court from Dream to Hawks branding. Continue reading...Guardian Sport · 29 Oct, 16:04
• Inside the scramble that moved Thursday's WNBA Finals game to 12:30 p.m. ETMany different options were considered before the WNBA decided to move Thursday's Game 6 of the WNBA Finals to a midday time slot.CNBC · 29 Oct, 15:52
• Where to watch Valkyries-Dream WNBA Finals Game 6 for free: Time, streamingToday's do-or-die game goes down at 12:30 p.m. ET.New York Post · 29 Oct, 12:30
• WNBA Finals set to make history: Watch Game 6 live on Sky SportsOn Thursday, either the Golden State Valkyries will win a WNBA championship in just their second year of existence, live on Sky Sports , or the Atlanta Dream will force the first Game 7 in league history.Sky Sports · 29 Oct, 08:23

In this story: Golden State Valkyries · Atlanta Dream · State Farm Arena · Kiah Stokes · Veronica Burton · Natalie Nakase · Karl Smesko · Atlanta Hawks

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log