Dream blame scheduling debacle on WNBA in open letter

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dream blame scheduling debacle on WNBA in open letter

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Oct 27, 2026 10:27 PM ET

The scheduling issues in the WNBA Finals have been maddening. What's even more maddening is that many of them could've been avoided.

The Atlanta Dream host the Golden State Valkyries in Game 6 of the best-of-seven series at State Farm Arena on Thursday (12:30 p.m. ET on E!, Peacock, SYFY and USA Network). Yes, a potential closeout game in a championship series will be televised while many fans are at work. What a joke.

The Dream thinks so, too. On Tuesday night, Atlanta's ownership group released a statement blasting WNBA leadership for ignoring their warnings about scheduling conflicts months in advance.

Dream release statement regarding scheduling problems

"Two months ago, when the WNBA finalized dates and times, we raised concerns that the W finals conflicted with NBA Games at State Farm Arena," the Dream said in a statement. "As we moved through the playoffs, we reiterated those concerns. Our concerns did not receive the attention, nor the urgency they deserved."

Dream ownership on arena situation in open letter to Atlanta:

"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 ... Our concerns did not receive the attention, nor the… pic.twitter.com/VykxA98Yu4
— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) October 27, 2026

The Atlanta Hawks host the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7 p.m. ET at State Farm Arena (capacity of 17,044) on the same day as Game 6. The WNBA could have moved Game 6 to Friday in a prime-time slot at the much smaller Gateway Center (capacity of 5,000), but chose not to.

The Dream hosted Games 3 and 4 at State Farm Arena, but both had to be rescheduled due to conflicts with Hawks games and a Sombr concert. Game 3 was moved a day earlier, while Game 4 was moved to an afternoon slot. The Dream thanked the Hawks for compromising amid the inconveniences brought on by the league's lack of preparation.

"Perhaps it was assumed the Dream would not make it this far. Perhaps our place in the Finals was not accounted for," Atlanta, who entered the playoffs as the No. 4 seed, said. "Whatever the reason, the reality is that we are here. We earned our place in the Finals, and our city deserves the opportunity to show up for this team."

Fans will try to pack State Farm Arena on Thursday to help the Dream avoid elimination and win their first championship. Many of them may need to fake a sick day to wriggle out of work and attend. Those who can't will have to find another way to watch.

Bad job, WNBA. Your incompetence has created a pain in the neck for the Dream. It has also created a headache for fans, some of whom may miss one of the season's most important games because of scheduling conflicts.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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