Dream owners decry midday Finals Game 6 after scheduling chaos: 'Earned the right to be taken seriously'

The Dream’s must-win WNBA Finals game was rescheduled to 12:30 p.m. on Thursday

The Atlanta Dream ownership group wrote an open letter to the city of Atlanta and the team's fans Tuesday regarding the decision to play Game 6 of the 2026 WNBA Finals — now a must-win for the Dream — at 12:30 p.m. ET on Thursday. In the letter, the ownership group claimed that it raised concerns about potential scheduling conflicts at State Farm Arena months ago that "did not receive the attention, nor the urgency that they deserved." Additionally, the letter noted that "playing a midday game on a Thursday is not what we would have chosen and not what we fought for." The Dream's primary home, Gateway Center Arena, is the smallest arena in the league, with a capacity of just 3,500.

That is not ideal for any playoff game, but especially not a Finals game, and the Dream have played all five of their postseason contests at State Farm Arena — the 17,000-seat arena that is home to the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. Due to scheduling conflicts, including a Sombr concert and a Hawks game, Games 3 and 4 of the Finals had to be altered so they could take place at State Farm Arena. Game 3 was moved from Oct. 22 to Oct. 21, while Game 4 was moved up to 1 p.m. ET in order to accommodate