-
Ramona Shelburne
Multiple Authors
After a weekend of nonstop frantic discussions and negotiation, Game 6 of the WNBA Finals will be played Thursday at 12:30 p.m. ET at 17,000-seat State Farm Arena, the home of the Atlanta Hawks.
The Hawks’ home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers that night will move back one hour to 8 p.m. to accommodate the doubleheader, just as the Hawks did for Game 4. This allows a potential Game 7 to remain scheduled for Friday at Chase Center in San Francisco.
All three Finals games in Atlanta have required hurried adjustments to the schedule at State Farm Arena. It took collective efforts from the WNBA, NBA, the Hawks, State Farm Arena, the Dream, the Valkyries and broadcast partners to figure out the best course of action again.
The NBA and WNBA explored options to keep Game 6 in primetime. However, both the Hawks and Cavaliers play Wednesday night, so they could not play their game in the earlier time slot Thursday.
“I hope everyone gets to see it somehow and I know for some people it’s not realistic — they have jobs and won’t be able to make it,” Dream coach Karl Smesko said. “I’m disappointed for that, but I’m hopeful as many people can see the game as possible.”
By moving up Game 6, the WNBA avoids a scenario where a potential championship game is played inside the Dream’s home arena, the 3,500-seat Gateway Center. The other option under strong consideration was moving Game 6 to an open date at State Farm Arena on Friday and Game 7 to an open date at Chase Center on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Game 5 of the WNBA Finals is set for 8 p.m. ET on Monday in San Francisco. The series is tied 2-2.
“The sellout crowds and extraordinary atmosphere at State Farm Arena for Games 3 and 4 were a tremendous success, and we’re excited to give thousands more fans the opportunity to experience Game 6 with a championship on the line,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said Monday. “We thank the NBA, Dream, Valkyries, Hawks, State Farm Arena and USA Network for the collaboration and flexibility that made this move possible. We look forward to delivering another unforgettable Finals experience in Atlanta.”
Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said her team won’t be negatively affected by adjusting to the early tipoff for Game 6, saying the main concerns are “rest and recovery.” Nakase said she is confident that Valkyries fans will tune in.
“The beauty of Ballhalla is they’ll sacrifice. They’re going to sacrifice,” she said. “They’re going to open the app, they’re going to open their phone, they’re going to watch. I have no doubt that everyone who has been supporting us through this whole way … everybody is going to watch.”
Smesko shared the same sentiment about the early tip-off, saying the only difference with the early game is that neither team will have a shootaround.
Dream stars Angel Reese and Allisha Gray both brushed aside the game time as a nonfactor, with Gray saying: “It’s the Finals. We just got to do what we’ve got to do. We are locked in on winning Game 6 whether it’s 8 a.m., 10 p.m., midnight. We got a championship to win.”
Information from ESPN’s Kendra Andrews and the Associated Press was used in this report.
Leave a Reply