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Sports · October 28, 2026

Atlanta Dream owners say WNBA Finals scheduling concerns raised 'months ago' were ignored

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The Atlanta Dream ownership group released an open letter on October 27, 2026, expressing frustration over scheduling conflicts at State Farm Arena during the WNBA Finals. The letter reveals that the Dream warned the league months ago about potential overlaps with other events at the 17,000-seat arena, which is also home to the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. These conflicts have forced Game 6 of the Finals against the Golden State Valkyries to be scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET on Thursday to accommodate a Hawks game against the Cleveland Cavaliers that same evening. Owners Larry and Robyn Gottesdiener, Suzanne Abair, and Renee Montgomery stated that their early concerns were largely ignored by the WNBA, resulting in a series of rescheduling issues that included moving Game 3 and holding Game 4 in the early afternoon.

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Reported by multiple outlets

  • Atlanta Dream owners released an open letter on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
  • Game 6 of the WNBA Finals is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET on Thursday at State Farm Arena.
  • The 12:30 p.m. tip-off is due to the Atlanta Hawks hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers later that same evening.
  • The Dream ownership group claims they raised concerns about scheduling conflicts with the league months ago.
  • Multiple previous Finals games were affected by scheduling conflicts: Game 3 was moved a day early, and Game 4 was played in the afternoon.

Reported by only some outlets

  • The New York Post reported that if the Golden State Valkyries win the title, they might be forced to celebrate in the Dream’s practice facility due to the venue turnover.
  • CBS Sports notes that the Dream's primary home, Gateway Center Arena, has a capacity of only 3,500 compared to State Farm Arena's 17,000.
  • CNN and CBS Sports specify that the previous conflicts involved both a concert and the Hawks' home opener.

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