After successfully hosting a WNBA-NBA doubleheader on Saturday, Atlanta will repeat the feat Thursday. But a 12:30 p.m. weekday tipoff for Game 6 of the WNBA Finals presents a new challenge for fans and television viewers.
For the second time in five days, Atlanta’s State Farm Arena will host two professional basketball games on the same day, allowing the Atlanta Dream to continue their pursuit of a WNBA championship in front of a much larger crowd.
But unlike Saturday’s successful doubleheader, Thursday’s arrangement comes with a significant compromise: the Dream will play Game 6 of the WNBA Finals against the Golden State Valkyries at 12:30 p.m. ET, an unusually early weekday start for one of the biggest games of the season.
The NBA’s Atlanta Hawks have agreed to move their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., providing additional time for arena crews to prepare the building between games.
The agreement, announced Monday, resolves a scheduling conflict that had threatened to force the Dream back to their regular home, the 3,500-seat Gateway Center Arena in College Park. Instead, they will return to the approximately 17,000-seat State Farm Arena, where they sold out Games 3 and 4 of the Finals last week.
More seats available, but how many fans can attend?
State Farm Arena offers nearly five times the seating capacity of Gateway Center Arena. But there’s a catch: Will fans actually be able to attend?
A 12:30 p.m. Thursday start creates a difficult proposition for fans who would ordinarily attend an evening game. Working adults may need to take several hours off, or potentially miss an entire day of work. Families with school-age children face similar challenges.
Fans traveling from outside Atlanta will have even fewer options. A midday start makes same-day travel more difficult, particularly for those relying on flights or driving several hours to attend.
And while the Dream sold out both of last week’s Finals games at State Farm Arena, those contests took place Wednesday evening and Saturday afternoon — far more accessible times for most fans. Whether as many fans can adjust their schedules for this week’s game is yet to be seen.
Television viewers face an even bigger challenge
Game 6 was originally scheduled for 8 p.m. ET, a prime-time window that would have allowed fans across the country to watch after work.
Instead, the game will begin at 12:30 p.m. in Atlanta, 11:30 a.m. Central and just 9:30 a.m. Pacific.
For fans of the Golden State Valkyries, that means a potentially championship-deciding game will tip off in the middle of the morning on a Thursday.
The game will remain on USA Network and Peacock, but the WNBA and NBA have acknowledged the challenge by announcing coordinated promotional efforts across their broadcast, digital and social platforms to increase awareness of the revised start time.
A doubleheader, and up to five games in five days
For fans who can make the schedule work, Thursday’s arrangement creates a rare opportunity to see two professional basketball games in the same arena on the same day: the WNBA Finals at 12:30 p.m., followed by the Hawks and Cavaliers at 8 p.m.
And that’s just the beginning of a substantial stretch of live sports in Atlanta.
The Hawks host the Miami Heat on Wednesday, October 28. On Saturday, October 31, Georgia and Florida meet in their annual college football rivalry at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, just across the street from State Farm Arena. And on Sunday, November 1, Atlanta United hosts Toronto FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
That’s as many as five games across five days, involving four different leagues or competitions, all at two neighboring downtown venues. For sports fans and ballpark chasers, it’s a remarkable opportunity to experience multiple major sporting events in a single trip.
To explore the complete Atlanta-area sports schedule and plan your trip, visit The Stadium Insiders’ Ultimate Sports Calendar for Atlanta. And to purchase tickets for the Dream – Valkyries game, click here.
