ATLANTA, GA – OCTOBER 04: Atlanta players huddle up during the WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA second round playoff game between the New York Liberty and the Atlanta Dream on October 4th, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, GA. Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire WNBA: OCT 04 New York Liberty at Atlanta Dream EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon261004007 ©IMAGO/Icon Sportswire Harshita Saxena Wed, October 28, 2026 at 2:29 AM UTC · 5 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Atlanta Dream are one loss away from watching their WNBA Finals hopes disappear. But ahead of Game 6, the conversation has shifted from the court to a scheduling controversy, with a 12:30 p.m. ET tip-off leaving fans questioning how a Finals game ended up in the middle of a Thursday afternoon. Now, the Dream's ownership has publicly blamed the WNBA for the scheduling mess, but its letter has only added to the backlash, with fans questioning whether the team is dodging its own responsibility.
The Dream's ownership group released an open letter to fans , making its frustration with the league clear. The owners said they had flagged potential scheduling conflicts months ago, only to see Game 6 land at 12:30 p.m. ET on Thursday. They insisted the timing was "not what we would have chosen and not what we fought for," while questioning whether the league took Atlanta's Finals run seriously.
In their words, the concerns "did not receive the attention, nor the urgency that they deserved." They also offered a guess: "Perhaps it was assumed that the Dream would not make it this far."
The owners stressed that the Dream "has earned the right to be taken seriously" and argued that the team and its fans deserved to see the Finals on "a world-class stage" at State Farm Arena.
The Dream's public complaint has ignited fierce debate about league accountability. Subscribe to stay across the WNBA's most controversial moments and what they mean for the future.
The letter acknowledged the Hawks' efforts to accommodate the Finals but made clear that the ownership group remained dissatisfied with the league's handling of the schedule.
Chicago, USA, August 7, 2025: Fan holds pay the players sign during the game between the Chicago Sky and Atlanta Dream on Thursday August 7, 2025 at Wintrust Arena, Chicago, USA. NO COMMERCIAL USAGE Shaina Benhiyoun/SPP PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxBRAxMEX Copyright: xShainaxBenhiyoun/SPPx spp-en-ShBe-8P6A0792
The arena has a long history with the Dream. The team joined the league in 2008 and played at State Farm Arena, then called Philips Arena, through 2016, and returned in 2019. The Dream are owned separately from the Hawks, and in October they signed a deal to play all their home games there starting in 2027.
This Finals has needed fixes at every step. Game 3 moved up a day because of a Sombr concert. Game 4 started earlier because of the Hawks' home opener. Game 6 was set for 8 p.m., but the Hawks hosted the Cavaliers that night. Both teams played on Wednesday, so the NBA game could not be moved earlier.
The letter put the Dream's side on record, but fans were quick to answer it.
One fan wrote, "The Hawks said if they had come to them a week earlier, they would have been able to find a satisfactory solution. This is not on the WNBA. This is on the Dream leadership and their organizational incompetence." The Hawks did help before. On Oct. 13, the Dream and Hawks announced that Games 3 and 4 would be moved to State Farm Arena, but the announcement did not mention Game 6. Hawks CEO Steve Koonin has said the arena offered multiple dates for Game 6, but that moving it was the league's call.
Another fan wrote, "Everybody is trying to pass the blame to everyone else." The Dream blamed the league. ESPN sources say the league sent playoff dates to teams on Dec. 4, 2025. After Game 5, Dream coach Karl Smesko turned to the referees. His team shot 19-for-65, and Angel Reese went 2-for-8 with four free throws. Smesko called the contact on Reese "just ridiculous."
A third fan commented, "It doesn't seem like the Dream realizes State Farm isn't their arena."The Hawks operate the building. The Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority owns it. NBA events often come first there. The Dream also left most of the upper bowl closed in the first two rounds, even after selling out five of six regular-season games there.
Another fan wrote, "Could've found another venue. You're not tenants of that building. The Hawks are. That's your fault entirely." The Dream did look elsewhere. For Games 3 and 4, they considered Gas South Arena, which seats up to 13,000, and Georgia Tech's McCamish Pavilion, which seats 8,600. They could not book either one. Gateway Center was the fallback for Game 6, and critics had called a Finals game there a bad look.
Another fan expressed frustration, "They raised concerns? To whom?? Did they just say it out loud in a meeting among themselves, the people responsible for the scheduling?" The letter does not say who got the concerns. People with direct knowledge told USA Today the issue came up "weeks ago," when Atlanta looked set to make the playoffs. It came up again after the Dream clinched. The WNBA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
As the Dream and the league trade blame over the schedule and fans take sides, the focus returns to the court on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. ET, where the Valkyries are one win from the title.
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