On Thursday, either the Golden State Valkyries will win a WNBA championship in just their second year of existence, live on Sky Sports , or the Atlanta Dream will force the first Game 7 in league history.
Amid scheduling drama, which has resulted in a 12.30pm tip off time in Atlanta - and 9.30am in San Francisco - the match is still a sell out and much anticipated.
"I'd like to see it be a national holiday for all WNBA championship games," Atlanta coach Karl Smesko said in jest this week.
"I hope everybody gets to see it, somehow. I know for some people, it's not realistic. They have jobs. They won't be able to make it. I'm disappointed for that, but I'm really hopeful that as many people can see the game as possible."
A title on the line. Game 7 in the balance 🏆 The @valkyries and @AtlantaDream meet again in the A for a CAN'T-MISS Game 6 tomorrow at 12:30pm/ET on USA Network & Peacock! #WNBASeason30 | #2026WNBAFinals pic.twitter.com/ZUbBaEuZar
The game could have been played at Atlanta's 'usual' home court at the Gateway Center Arena on Thursday night. It would have been a great atmosphere, but nobody wanted the tiny crowd of 3,500 or so.
In the future, State Farm and its 17,000 capacity will become the full-time home of the Dream, which means potential WNBA Finals dates won't clash with Atlanta Hawks NBA games.
"It's better than, you know, having it at the YMCA that night in front of 75 people," the NBA's Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "They're doing what they've got to do."
The Valkyries, for their part, have some ideas on how fans can manage the early start time.
"Call in sick," guard Veronica Burton said. "I recommend it."
Forward Kiah Stokes added: "Don't y'all know how to fake a cough?"
The players have handled it with a sense of humour. So too has Smesko, with his tongue-in-cheek plea for a national holiday to be declared.
All they need is ONE. The @valkyries are 48 hours away from potentially clinching their FIRST WNBA title in just their second season! pic.twitter.com/PJZvjJb5CA
Game 6 will serve as either the last game, or the next-to-last game, in a season that the WNBA can point to as a sign of continued growth.
There were more games than ever, which meant that more people showed up than ever - around 3.8 million and counting this season, including playoffs.
The average number of fans per game will end up around 11,500, another record and up about 4.5 per cent over the previous season.
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Las Vegas star A'ja Wilson won her record fifth MVP award. The league set records for points and three-pointers per game. A new star was born, with Minnesota's Olivia Miles the unanimous pick as rookie of the year.
Atlanta's Angel Reese was named defensive player of the year, while in Indiana, Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark scored more points than any WNBA backcourt ever in a season.
The playoffs too were unpredictable, and will end with a new champion crowned. But it's just a case of whether it will happen at Game 6 on Thursday?
Kiah Stokes was unstoppable in the @valkyries ' Game 5 dub 😤 She was a menace on both ends of the floor recording 13 PTS, 8 REB, 3 BLKS & 3 3PM on 5-6 shooting. Kiah has recorded 3+ blocks in six consecutive playoff games, tying Lisa Leslie for the longest such streak in WNBA… pic.twitter.com/hFO4gjoumM
Watch Game 6 of the WNBA Finals live on Sky Sports from 4.30pm on Thursday, October 29 . Get the latest Sky Sports deals or stream with no contract on NOW .
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Source: Sports
