Sports · October 28, 2026
Atlanta Dream owners told WNBA about Finals schedule concerns months ago
The ownership group of the Atlanta Dream released an open letter to the city of Atlanta on October 27, 2026, expressing frustration over scheduling conflicts at State Farm Arena during the WNBA Finals. The Dream, who are currently playing the Golden State Valkyries, have had multiple games rescheduled or moved to midday slots to accommodate a concert and Atlanta Hawks home games. The owners stated they raised these concerns with the league months ago but felt their warnings were ignored. As a result, Game 6 is scheduled for a 12:30 p.m. ET kickoff on Thursday to avoid a conflict with the Hawks’ evening game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Read the original coverage
- Yahoo SportsSports network
Atlanta Dream owners told WNBA about Finals schedule concerns months ago
Read at Yahoo Sports ↗ - CBS SportsSports network
Dream owners decry midday Finals Game 6 after scheduling chaos:
Read at CBS Sports ↗ - CNNMainstream
Atlanta Dream owners say they raised WNBA Finals scheduling conflicts months ago in blistering letter | CNN
Read at CNN ↗ - New York PostTabloid
Dream address WNBA Finals venue mess in open letter to Atlanta
Read at New York Post ↗ - ESPNSports network
Dream say concerns over finding available Finals venue went unheeded
Read at ESPN ↗
Reported by multiple outlets
- The Atlanta Dream ownership group released an open letter on Tuesday.
- WNBA Finals Game 6 is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET on Thursday at State Farm Arena.
- The 12:30 p.m. start time is necessary because the Atlanta Hawks are hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers at the same venue that evening.
- Previous games in the series (Games 3 and 4) were also affected by scheduling conflicts with a concert and the Hawks' home opener.
- The Dream owners claim they raised concerns about these potential conflicts months ago.
Reported by only some outlets
- The New York Post reported that if the Golden State Valkyries win the title in Atlanta, they might be forced to celebrate in the Dream's practice facility.
- CBS Sports identified the concert that caused earlier scheduling shifts as 'Sombr'.
- CNN identified the owners who signed the letter as Larry and Robyn Gottesdiener, Suzanne Abair, and Renee Montgomery.
- CBS Sports noted that the Dream's primary home, Gateway Center Arena, has a capacity of only 3,500, necessitating the move to the 17,000-seat State Farm Arena.
Confirmed
- The Atlanta Dream ownership issued an open letter on October 27.
- WNBA Finals Game 6 is set for Thursday at 12:30 p.m. ET at State Farm Arena.
- The Atlanta Hawks host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday evening.
- Games 3 and 4 of the series were previously rescheduled due to venue conflicts.
Reported
- Concerns about scheduling were raised two months ago when playoff dates were finalized. (Atlanta Dream ownership)
- The WNBA/NBA ignored or failed to give urgency to the team's scheduling concerns. (Atlanta Dream ownership)
Rumor
- The Golden State Valkyries may have to celebrate a championship in a practice facility. (New York Post)
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