The Atlanta Dream have criticised the WNBA after Game 6 of the Finals was moved from a prime-time evening slot to 12.30pm on a Thursday because of a scheduling clash at State Farm Arena.
The game was originally due to start at 8pm ET at the 3,500-seat Gateway Center in College Park, Georgia. It was transferred to the 17,000-capacity home of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks to accommodate larger crowds, but an already scheduled NBA fixture forced the league to bring the start time forward.
The Dream’s ownership group said it had warned the WNBA about the conflict months earlier and repeated its concerns during the play-offs.
“Two months ago, when the WNBA finalized playoff dates and times, we raised concerns that the W Finals schedule conflicted with NBA games at State Farm Arena,” the group said in an open letter published on Tuesday.
“As we moved through the playoffs, we reiterated those concerns. Our concerns did not receive the attention, nor the urgency that they deserved.”
The letter added: “Perhaps it was assumed that the Dream would not make it this far. Perhaps, our place in the Finals was not accounted for. Whatever the reason, the reality is that we are here. Playing a midday game on a Thursday is not what we would have chosen and not what we fought for.”
The WNBA did not respond to a request for comment.
WNBA Finals scheduling change could affect viewing figures
The move has prompted criticism from fans and beat writers, who have argued that many supporters will struggle to watch a potential championship-deciding game while at work.
State Farm Arena is sold out, although Game 6 tickets were reported to have fallen to as little as $32, a fraction of their price two days earlier.
The scheduling change may also affect television figures. The first three Finals games, played at 3.30pm ET and 8pm ET, averaged about 1.7 million viewers, putting the series on course to surpass the 2024 Finals as the league’s most watched championship-deciding series.
However, the total television audience at 12pm this month was 44.3 million, compared with 106.2 million at 8pm. The game will be shown on USA Network and streamed on Peacock, with E! and Syfy also due to simulcast the broadcast instead of the usual CNBC coverage.
The WNBA has previously moved play-off games because of venue conflicts. In 2018, the Washington Mystics played at George Washington University’s Charles E. Smith Center before moving their Finals games to George Mason University’s EagleBank Arena, about 20 miles from their usual home in downtown Washington.
Last year, the Golden State Valkyries staged home play-off games at San Jose’s SAP Center after the Laver Cup tennis tournament was booked at their usual Chase Center venue.
