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. 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 a doubleheader with the Hawks' matchup against the Houston Rockets, which was moved back to 8 p.m.
The Hawks are also scheduled to play at home on both Wednesday and Thursday this week, causing another conflict with Game 6. Faced with no good options, the league eventually chose to play Game 6 in the afternoon in order to ensure it was played at the much larger State Farm Arena. Here is the full letter from the Dream's ownership group: First, thank you.
Thank you for showing up, showing out, and supporting the Atlanta Dream. Thank you for your patience, your flexibility, and your willingness to navigate all the hurdles being placed in front of us. This postseason has asked a lot of our fans, our partners, our players, and our city.
But ATL knows how to handle adversity. And once again, the city and our fans will fill the building. We do not take that support for granted.
This incredible run by our players has also made something else abundantly clear: the Atlanta Dream has earned the right to be taken seriously. 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. As we moved through the playoffs, we reiterated those concerns.
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