WNBA Moves Finals Game 6 to 12:30 p.m. ET

Game 6 of the WNBA Finals between the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries will be played at 12:30 p.m. ET on Thursday. A Golden State victory would secure the series, 4-2, while an Atlanta win would send the series to Golden State for Game 7 on Saturday, Oct. 31.

The scheduling conflict arose because the Dream was set to play its playoff games at State Farm Arena, home to the Atlanta Hawks, which also hosts the Hawks' game on the same night. The Dream's regular-season games are played at Gateway Center Arena, which has a much smaller capacity.

A multiparty discussion involving the teams' ownership groups, the WNBA Commissioner, the NBA Commissioner, and media rights holders began to find a solution. The Dream had raised concerns about scheduling conflicts earlier but was told it was responsible for securing an arena.

The Dream did not secure an alternative arena other than Gateway. The NBA was brought in to help resolve the issue. Various options were considered, including shifting the Hawks' game, moving Game 6 to a different day, or finding another venue.

Attempts to shift the day of the game faced challenges, as the Hawks had games on Wednesday, and other events were scheduled on Friday and Saturday. The Hawks' game could not be moved to 12:30 p.m. ET due to NBA collective bargaining agreement rules.

The decision to move the game to 12:30 p.m. ET is expected to result in a significant drop in viewership. The game will be broadcast on USA Network, E!, Syfy, and rebroadcast at 8 p.m. ET on USA and CNBC. The league emphasized the need to balance multiple stakeholders' interests in making the decision.