WNBA Finals Game 6 moves to lunchtime at State Farm Arena
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Game 6 of the WNBA Finals will start at 12:30 PM Eastern Time on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
- The game will be played at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, not at the smaller Gateway Center Arena.
- The Atlanta Hawks will play the Cleveland Cavaliers at the same arena later that night.
Game 6 of the WNBA Finals will be played at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Thursday, October 29, 2026. The game will start at 12:30 PM Eastern Time. The league announced the move on Monday, October 26, 2026.
What happened
The Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries are tied at 2-2 in the Finals. Golden State won the first game of the series. Atlanta then tied the series soon after.
Golden State won Game 4 by 67-62 on Saturday at State Farm Arena. That win tied the series at 2-2. It also made a sixth game certain.
Game 5 was set for Monday night at Chase Center in San Francisco. The winner of Game 5 will be one win from the title in Game 6. If Game 6 does not settle the series, Game 7 will follow on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at Chase Center.
Before the announcement, Game 6 was set for 8 PM Eastern Time on Thursday. It was set to be played at Gateway Center Arena in College Park. That arena holds just 3,500 fans.
Why the game moved
State Farm Arena was already booked on Thursday night. The Atlanta Hawks host the Cleveland Cavaliers there that night.
The Hawks agreed to push their game back by one hour. Their game will now start at 8 PM Eastern Time.
The deal gives the Finals a much bigger stage. State Farm Arena holds about 17,000 fans.
Gateway Center Arena holds only 3,500 fans. The league picked more seats over a night start.
This is the second same-day doubleheader of the series at the arena. Games 3 and 4 were also moved to State Farm Arena.
Game 4 was played in the afternoon on Saturday. The Hawks played the Houston Rockets at the same arena that night.
The schedule changes started before the Finals began. The date of Game 3 moved from Thursday, October 22, 2026, to Wednesday, October 21, 2026.
The start of Game 4 moved from 3:30 PM Eastern Time to 1 PM Eastern Time. Both moves made room for the bigger arena.
Atlanta have played their home games at Gateway Center Arena since 2021. The club will move to State Farm Arena full time next season. That move is part of a five-year deal.
What it means for fans
The daytime start will be hard for many fans. The game will tip off at 9:30 AM Pacific Time. Fans in California will need to watch in the morning.
The move does open up far more seats. Tickets for Game 6 went on sale on Monday at 4 PM Eastern Time.
The club said it will not limit capacity for Game 6. More fans can now attend a game with the title on the line.
The game will air on USA Network and stream on Peacock. The league said it will push hard to spread the new start time.
The WNBA, the NBA, USA Network, NBC, and Peacock will run a joint push. The aim is to make sure fans know the game starts at lunch time.
Atlanta are chasing the first title in club history. Golden State are chasing a first title too. A daytime final is unusual, but the stakes are as high as ever.
What the teams said
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert praised the deal in a statement. She said the sellout crowds for Games 3 and 4 were a huge success. She said the move lets thousands more fans attend Game 6 with a title on the line.
She thanked the NBA, both clubs, the Hawks, the arena, and USA Network. She said their joint work made the move possible. She said the league looks forward to another great Finals night in Atlanta.
Dream guard Allisha Gray brushed off the early start. She said she does not care if the game starts at 8 in the morning. She said the club has a title to win.
Dream coach Karl Smesko said one thing will change. He said neither club will hold a shootaround early in the day. A shootaround is a short practice on game day.
A Dream spokesperson told Front Office Sports the club is thrilled. The spokesperson said the club wants as many fans as possible in the arena. The aim is to cheer the club on to a title.
What happens next
Game 5 comes first, on Monday night in San Francisco. Its winner will carry a 3-2 lead into Game 6. That club will be one win from the title on Thursday.
If the Game 5 winner also wins Game 6, the series ends in Atlanta. The trophy will be handed out on Thursday afternoon. If Atlanta lose Game 6, the series goes back west.
Game 7, if needed, will be played on Saturday, October 31, 2026. It will be played at Chase Center in San Francisco. For now, all eyes are on Thursday lunch time in Atlanta.
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