WNBA leaders deserve criticism for controversial Game 6 Finals decision

The 2026 season has been historic for the WNBA, from a transformative collective bargaining agreement to record viewership, A'ja Wilson's march to a fifth MVP to the Indiana Fever's record-setting offense. It deserves a better finish than a potential Thursday, 12:30 p.m. EST matinee, making the league's decision to prioritize extra ticket revenue over the product especially disappointing.

Awful Announcing described it as "completely bewildering," pointing to the league's massive growth in recent seasons and how such a move only hurts its image.

"For a league that wants to be seen as on par with the other major professional sports leagues in the U.S.," the site wrote, "it’s hard to imagine the NBA, NFL, NHL, or MLB would’ve made the same call under similar circumstances."

The Hollywood Reporter's Alex Weprin noted that CNBC, which simulcast previous games in the series, won't preempt previously scheduled programming, with the USA Network broadcast instead also airing on E! and Syfy.

Reporting by ESPN's Ramona Shelburne points to an embarrassing lack of planning from the league and Dream. The longtime insider detailed the logistical nightmare of moving Hawks-Cavs with both teams playing the previous night, writing that "The doubleheader matinee and Friday/Tuesday options ended up being the best of the bad options.

"Had these requests been made a few weeks ago," Shelburne continued in a follow-up post, "or even a week ago, sounds like more could've been done."

The WNBA had plenty of time to forecast this as a possible problem; Atlanta clinched its spot in the WNBA Finals on Oct. 9, eight days before Game 1 tipped off.

The league is doing itself, its fans and, worst of all, its players a disservice with the midday Game 6 airtime. Valkyries faithful on the West Coast, example, will be just finishing their morning coffee when the ball's thrown in the air at 9:30 a.m. local time.

Even with an increase in attendance, it's hard to justify the WNBA's decision. The Finals should be treated like a premier event, not a meeting being squeezed into the schedule at the last second. For a league with plenty to celebrate, it's still learning how not to get in its own way.