WNBA Finals: League to hold Game 6 Thursday at State Farm Arena

After days of deliberation, the WNBA has finally determined where and when Game 6 of the Finals will be played. The league announced Monday the contest will be held at 12:30 p.m. ET Thursday at State Farm Arena.

The decision comes after it was reported Sunday the league was unclear about both the time and place in which the game would be played, and was working with the Atlanta Dream, Golden State Valkyries, NBA and the Atlanta Hawks to come up with a solution.

In order to accommodate Thursday's game, the league opted to move it to earlier in the day. That decision allows both the Dream and Hawks to play home games at State Farm Arena on Thursday.

In a statement, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the league saw the success of Games 3 and 4 and wanted to host Game 6 in the same arena.

"The sellout crowds and extraordinary atmosphere at State Farm Arena for Games 3 and 4 were a tremendous success, and we're excited to give thousands more fans the opportunity to experience Game 6 with a championship on the line," said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. "We thank the NBA, Dream, Valkyries, Hawks, State Farm Arena and USA Network for the collaboration and flexibility that made this move possible. We look forward to delivering another unforgettable Finals experience in Atlanta."

The WNBA knew Saturday — when the Valkyries evened the series with a 67-62 win in Game 4 — that scheduling Game 6 was going to take some work. Throughout the playoffs, the Dream have played home games at State Farm Arena — where the Hawks play their home games. That decision was partially due to fan demand, as the Dream's current home stadium, Gateway Center Arena, has the smallest capacity in the league, with just 3,500 seats. State Farm Arena can hold 17,000 fans.

But Game 6 provided the WNBA with a major scheduling conflict, as the Hawks were scheduled to play the Cleveland Cavaliers at State Farm Arena on the same day and at roughly the same time as the WNBA planned to hold Game 6 of the Finals.

The Hawks and Cavaliers were initially scheduled to play at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday. The Dream and Valkyries were initially scheduled to play at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday. With the change the Hawks and Cavaliers will now tip off at 8 p.m. ET.

When asked whether the early tip time would impact the game, Dream guard Allisha Gray said it didn't matter when the two teams played.

"I mean, it's the Finals. You just gotta do what you gotta do. We're locked in on winning Game 6. I don't care if we're playing at 8 a.m., 10 a.m., midnight. We've got a championship to win."

Dream coach Karl Smesko agreed, saying shootaround might be affected, but that's it.

It wasn't the first time in the series the league had to change its scheduling. In order to work around the Hawks' schedule, the WNBA moved Game 3 of the Finals up a day and adjusted the time of Game 4 so both contests could be held at State Farm Arena. It was a successful move, as the Dream sold out both games at the stadium.

On Sunday, it was reported that similar options were on the table for Game 6, including the WNBA moving back the date of the contest by a day to accommodate both teams. That solution came with a catch, however, as it would require the league to also shift the date of a possible Game 7 to ensure both teams received adequate rest before taking the court for the game. Ultimately, the league found another solution.

With the Game 6 situation finally sorted out, the WNBA shouldn't have to worry about the issue again. The Dream will begin playing their home games at State Farm Arena in 2027.