Why is a WNBA Finals game starting at 12:30 p.m. on a Thursday? Everything to know as Dream blame the league

It took a lot of moving parts for a potential championship-deciding game to be played on a weekday afternoon Game 6 of the 2026 WNBA Finals between the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream will tip off at 12:30 p.m. ET on Thursday at State Farm Arena. The lunch time start for the first Game 6 in WNBA history — the Finals were expanded to a best-of-seven last season — has drawn plenty of confusion and criticism. Before the Valkyries, up 3-2 in the series, attempt to win the first title in franchise history, and the Dream try to keep their season alive, here's everything you need to know about one of the most unique title-deciding games in recent sports history.

Earlier this month, the Dream announced a multi-year deal to play all of their games at State Farm Arena, also the home of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks, starting with the 2027 season, in an effort to meet the "unprecedented growth of the franchise, increasing ticket demand and overall excitement for the entire Dream fan experience." But for this season, the Dream's primary home was still Gateway Center Arena, which is where they've played since 2021. Gateway Center Arena holds just 3,500 people and is the smallest arena in the WNBA. The Dream were able to move five regular-season games