Dream criticize WNBA over move of Finals Game 6 to Thursday lunchtime

The Atlanta Dream have challenged the WNBA's decision to move Game 6 of the Finals from an evening start to lunchtime on Thursday, October 29. The change has also drawn responses from rapper Flavor Flav and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, bringing attention beyond the league to the scheduling dispute.

The Dream are scheduled to face the Golden State Valkyries at Atlanta's State Farm Arena at 12:30 p.m. ET. The game had originally been set for 8 p.m. According to the WNBA, the earlier tipoff is intended to accommodate an Atlanta Hawks NBA game at the same arena later that evening.

In an open letter addressed to fans, the Dream's ownership group said the potential for conflicts with NBA games at State Farm Arena had been raised two months earlier. The owners argued that their concerns had not been given the attention or urgency they warranted before the Finals scheduling decision.

The letter questioned whether the possibility of Atlanta advancing to the championship series had been adequately considered. The owners suggested that the Dream might not have been expected to reach that stage, or that their participation in the Finals had not been included in scheduling plans. They did not identify either explanation as an established reason for the change.

After raising those possibilities, the ownership group emphasized that Atlanta had reached the Finals regardless of what had been anticipated. "Whatever the reason, the reality is that we are here," the owners wrote, underscoring their disappointment with the decision to shift the game to the afternoon.

Alongside that criticism, the owners thanked the Hawks and State Farm Arena for their efforts to accommodate the Finals. Their letter said the NBA team and the venue had adjusted their schedules three times, acknowledging those changes while expressing dissatisfaction with the outcome.

Flavor Flav responded to the unusual weekday start by proposing that Thursday become a paid holiday so fans could watch the game. He shared a mock letter asking employers to allow workers to take the day off.

Clinton added her support to the rapper's proposal on social media. Responding to his message about giving workers time off for the game, she wrote: "I endorse this message."