Kirby Lee-Imagn Images/Brett Davis-Imagn Images
WNBA basketball next to Atlanta Dream center Angel Reese
The WNBA Finals have been marred by scheduling issues, including a conflict that has led to a game that has the potential to crown a champion being held in the middle of a weekday afternoon. However, those problems could have seemingly been avoided if the league had heeded the warnings the owners of the Atlanta Dream assert were ignored.
It’s no secret the WNBA has faced an uphill battle when it comes to courting fans and establishing itself as a legitimate player in the landscape of American sports. It’s come a long way on that front over the past few years, and while it may not be able to go toe-to-toe with the “Big Four” leagues, things are trending in the right direction when it comes to visibility and viewership.
However, it currently lacks the kind of clout required to be a top priority at many of the venues where its games are played, as highlighted by what’s unfolded over the course of this season’s WNBA Finals between the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries.
The former played the majority of its regular season games at Gateway Center Arena, which can only accommodate 3,500 fans. The franchise will be permanently relocating to State Farm Arena (which can fit more than 17,000 spectators) next year, but its playoff run ended up causing some issues due to events that had already been booked there.
That has led to some reshuffling on the scheduling front, and the team’s owners are placing the blame on the WNBA for failing to act after they initially voiced their concerns months ago.
The owner of the Atlanta Dream blamed the WNBA for dragging its feet after being warned about potential scheduling issues
The WNBA locked in its postseason schedule a few weeks before the playoffs got underway, which meant the league and the teams that had the potential to compete for a title had plenty of time to prepare for potential conflicts.
The 2026 WNBA Playoffs presented by @madebygoogle and WNBA Finals schedule is here 🗓️
Round 1 is set to tip-off Sunday, September 27th!
All 8 teams have clinched. Stayed tuned for playoff seeding 🚨
*All dates and game times subject to change* https://t.co/eWwwEIbXSe
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 9, 2026
The Valkyries didn’t run into any issues for the Finals, but the same can’t be said for the Dream. Game 3 was moved from the 22nd to the 21st due to a concert at State Farm Arena, and Game 4 was pushed to a 1 PM tipoff due to a Hawks game scheduled for that night.
That second adjustment worked well enough because the contest was held on a Saturday. However, that was not the case with Game 6, which was originally supposed to be held on the evening of the 29th but will instead get underway at 12:30 PM on Thursday, a move that has garnered plenty of criticism when you consider Golden State will have the chance to clinch a title up 3-2.
On Wednesday, the team’s owners—Suzanne Abair, Renee Montgomery, and Larry Gottesdiener and Robyn Gottesdiener—sent an open letter to fans in which they acknowledged the situation is less than ideal while taking aim at the WNBA, saying:
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. Our concerns did not receive the attention, nor the urgency that they deserved.
Atlanta Dream ownership sent an open letter to the team’s fans following the rescheduling of Game 6.
“Playing a midday game on a Thursday is not what we would have chosen and not what we fought for. And as much as we have great affection and nostalgia for Gateway Center Arena, we believed that our fans and the city wanted the opportunity to be a part of this historic series, and to see it played on a world-class stage. That meant State Farm Arena.”
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) October 28, 2026
At the end of the day, this is only one side of the story, but it’s certainly not a great look for the league if true.