Game 6 of the WNBA Finals between the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries was a point of discussion for a lot of people even before tipoff on Thursday. There was a scheduling conflict with the Atlanta Hawks.

The game was shifted to State Farm Arena to accommodate more fans for the blockbuster showdown. However, that meant that if the Valkyries had won Game 6 and the WNBA championship, their celebrations might have been affected. The other major issue was the game being scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on a workday.

Before the game started, Renard Hayes, the father of Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes, blamed the chaos of the scheduling issue on the WNBA as well as the Atlanta Dream in a video shared by the conservative sports outlet OutKick, whose coverage frequently bashes the league.

“It’s kind of a shame how they couldn’t handle the situation better or couldn’t be more prepared. They didn’t know that teams were going to make the postseason, so they weren’t prepared,” he said.

“I think it’s the league’s fault. It’s the league’s fault and pretty much the Atlanta organization,” he said.

He also said that last year, when the Valkyries’ playoff game was to be rescheduled, it happened at a similar-sized arena, but it was managed way better, and the Valkyries were prepared for the scenario.

However, although there were well-reported issues that didn’t prevent the scheduling conflict and led to the early start time, Hayes’ comparison lacked key details.

A year ago, the Valkyries played just one playoff game at the Chase Center, and that game was on Sept. 17, 2025, with the then-first-year franchise getting swept by the Minnesota Lynx. Although they share the venue with the Golden State Warriors, that game was weeks before preseason play began, let alone the regular season.

The Dream, meanwhile, were not the primary tenants of the 17,000-seat State Farm Arena, and the lengthy playoff run this deep into October was unexpected. The Atlanta Hawks are, and they had a regular-season game scheduled for Thursday night. The Dream play at the 3,500-seat Gateway Park Arena. Next season, the Hawks and Dream will share the arena.

Nevertheless, even with the early start for a game that wasn’t set until the series went to six games, the Dream sold out State Farm Arena.

This time around, he sympathized with Golden State fans, because the potential title-decider tipped off at 9:30 a.m. on a workday in San Francisco. In that sense, the Valkyries’ loss was a silver lining as their local fans can witness Game 7 on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET in Chase Center.

Tiffany Hayes and Gabby Williams combine for 41 points in loss to the Atlanta Dream

The Dream came into the game with a chip on their shoulders after losing consecutive games in the WNBA Finals. They scored 32 points in the first quarter, ending the first half with a 20-point lead en route to an 80-69 victory.

Gabby Williams scored 26 points, and Tiffany Hayes had 15, but it was in vain as the Dream turned out to be too good in the end. Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray had 21 and 23 points, respectively.

Angel Reese totaled 15 points with 14 rebounds and six assists. She also made two 3-pointers and maintained an interesting streak. The Dream hasn’t lost a single game all season when Reese has scored at least one 3-pointer.

The Valkyries host the Dream for Game 7 in Chase Center on Saturday.

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