Game 6 of the WNBA Finals between the Golden State Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream will start at 12:30 p.m. local time on Thursday, an unusual daytime slot that came about only after a scramble to find the game a suitable venue.
The scheduling trouble traces back to arena availability in Atlanta. The Dream normally play at Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia, a venue that seats roughly 3,500 people. For Games 3 and 4 of the Finals, the Dream were able to move into the larger, NBA-sized State Farm Arena after coordinating with the Hawks to shift that team’s schedule.
That arrangement couldn’t be repeated for Game 6. State Farm Arena was already committed to a Hawks-Cavaliers game that night, leaving the WNBA facing the prospect of one of its marquee Finals games being played in front of a small crowd at Gateway Center Arena. League officials reportedly looked at reshuffling the Finals schedule entirely to preserve a primetime broadcast window, but ultimately struck a deal with the Hawks: that team’s game was pushed back to 8:30 p.m. local time, clearing State Farm Arena for a midday tipoff of Game 6.
The unusual timing drew criticism, but it also drew commentary from Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, whose team was in Denver on Monday to play the Nuggets. Kerr, who has never had to coach a Finals game during a weekday morning in his own career, said he’d be tuning in regardless.
“I’ll be having breakfast about that time,” Kerr said. “I’ll be watching.”
Asked about the scheduling compromise, Kerr defended the league’s decision given the limited options.
“It’s better than having it at the YMCA that night in front of 75 people,” Kerr said Monday. “They’re doing what they’ve got to do.”
The Valkyries, by contrast, have sold out every home game at the 18,064-capacity Chase Center in San Francisco since the franchise launched last season. The team is now in its second season as an expansion club and is fighting for a championship against the Dream.
Golden State’s NBA franchise has taken a visible interest in its WNBA counterpart this postseason. Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski became known as a vocal supporter of the Valkyries during their first season, and Kerr himself was seen sitting courtside earlier in this Finals series alongside Joe Lacob, who serves as principal owner of both Golden State teams.
Kerr said he has stayed in contact with Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase throughout the playoff run, though he’s careful to keep his role limited to encouragement rather than strategy.
“We text,” Kerr said. “Just offering support and she responds. But we’re not going into detail on strategy. She’s got her staff.”
