On a Thursday when the WNBA's championship race could be settled, a midday tipoff has become a small but telling moment in an old argument about who gets the best hours. Game 6 of the Finals, between the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries, was moved to 12:30 p.m. Eastern so an arena could prepare for an NBA game that night, and for fans on the West Coast it means waking to a 9:30 a.m. start. Whether devoted supporters will rearrange their lives for the women's game, and what that says about how the league is valued, is the question the day now carries.
Valkyries Players Joke Fans Should 'Call In Sick' as WNBA Finals Game 6 Tips Off at 12:30 p.m. ET
The women deserve primetime slots.
Mark
Why is a 12:30 p.m. Eastern tipoff such a big deal for a Finals game?
Mimi
Because Game 6 could crown the champion. The Valkyries lead 3-2, and the game is at 9:30 a.m. in California, where their fans are.
Luke
And the reason for the time is stated plainly: State Farm Arena needs to be ready for an NBA game that evening. That part is confirmed.
Mark
How are the players taking it?
Mimi
With jokes. Veronica Burton said to call in sick, and Kiah Stokes joked about faking a cough. Coach Natalie Nakase's team is staying on what it can control.
Mark
Is there evidence fans will show up anyway?
Mimi
Some. Several Finals games drew record ratings, and the Valkyries have sold out every game since they started last year.
Luke
Those are past numbers, though. Whether a Thursday morning holds them is unknown until it happens. Co-owner Peter Guber's confidence and Shaunice Christmas-Miller's are expectations, not results.
Mark
What's the criticism?
Mimi
Shaunice said the schedule should have been planned for all seven games, and Yolett McPhee-McCuin called the tipoff not a good look.
Luke
Worth noting those are opinions. The reporting doesn't say who made the scheduling decision beyond the arena reason, or whether alternatives existed.
Il Polso
- A 3-2 series lead puts Golden State one win from a title, and the clock is ticking toward a noon-ish start.
- Fans in California face a 9:30 a.m. tipoff, with commuter traffic and work schedules standing in the way of watch parties.
- Social media erupted, with a mock permission slip and calls to fake a cough turning frustration into jokes.
- Organizers are pushing a public viewing area outside Chase Center, betting that the home crowd will show up anyway.
- Record ratings and sellouts all season suggest demand is strong, but attendance Thursday will show whether early hours limit the crowd.
On a Thursday when the WNBA's championship race could be settled, a midday tipoff has become a small but telling moment in an old argument about who gets the best hours. Game 6 of the Finals, between the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries, was moved to 12:30 p.m. Eastern so an arena could prepare for an NBA game that night, and for fans on the West Coast it means waking to a 9:30 a.m. start. Whether devoted supporters will rearrange their lives for the women's game, and what that says about how the league is valued, is the question the day now carries.
Game 6 of the WNBA Finals will tip off at 12:30 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, which is 9:30 a.m. on the West Coast. The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries will play at State Farm Arena, because the building must be ready for an NBA game that evening. The timing matters: Golden State took a 3-2 series lead after winning Game 5 in San Francisco, so a Thursday win would crown the Valkyries champions.
Championship games are usually played in prime time, and this slot has drawn criticism. Still, the appetite for the series is clear. Several Finals games have set record ratings, and the Valkyries, an expansion team in its first year of play, have sold out every game. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he would watch even over breakfast, since his team has the day off.
At Chase Center, Shaunice Christmas-Miller and her wife, Kendall, have attended every home playoff game this season. Their jobs let them work from home, so they will be there in spirit, but Shaunice wishes the league had planned the schedule more carefully for the whole series. She believes fans will find a way to show up. Co-owner Peter Guber shares that confidence, and supporters have been invited to a viewing area in the Thrive City plaza under the big screen.
Online, the reaction was loud and playful. Flavor Flav posted a mock permission slip asking bosses to excuse absences, while Ole Miss coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin called the 12:30 start not a good look for fans or players. Valkyries players kept their focus on what they control. Veronica Burton joked that fans should call in sick, and Kaila Charles said she believes supporters will adjust and that a bigger arena will bring more people to women's basketball.
Thursday will answer the question everyone is asking: whether a weekday-morning start can hold a crowd for the league's biggest night.
Game 6 of the WNBA Finals will tip off at 12:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, a midday start that arrives at 9:30 a.m. on the West Coast. The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries will play it at State Farm Arena, and the reason for the hour is practical: the building has to be ready for an NBA game that evening.
The timing matters because of where the series stands. The Valkyries beat the Dream in Game 5 on Monday in San Francisco and took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. A win Thursday would make Golden State the WNBA champion, so the early start could land on a title-deciding game.
Championship games, and especially potential clinchers, are routinely played in prime time. Thursday's slot is far from that, though it doesn't appear likely to keep Valkyries fans from tuning in. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he plans to watch even if he is eating breakfast when it begins. His team has the day off, he said, so he'll be watching.
The appetite is measurable. Several games in this Finals have drawn record ratings, and the Valkyries, an expansion franchise that began play last year, have sold out every game they have played.
Shaunice Christmas-Miller and her wife, Kendall, have been at every home playoff game this season at Chase Center. Their jobs let them work from home Thursday, so they are covered. Shaunice still believes the broader fan base will turn out, saying fans will absolutely find a way. She also wishes the schedule had been thought through earlier, for the entire seven-game series. In her words, the women deserve primetime slots.
Valkyries co-owner Peter Guber was largely unconcerned that the devoted home crowd would show up when it matters most, despite morning hurdles like commuter traffic into San Francisco for a watch party. Supporters have been invited to gather outside Chase Center in the Thrive City viewing area, beneath the big screen.
Reaction spilled onto social media. Rapper Flavor Flav posted Tuesday that Thursday is a paid holiday because he said so, attaching a mock permission slip to bosses everywhere requesting excused absences. He signed it as "The World's Greatest Hype Man" and "Official Supporter of Women's Sports." Ole Miss women's coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin was blunter on X, writing that she would rather play anywhere else than at a 12:30 tip for a WNBA Finals game, and calling it not a good look for fans or players.
Golden State coach Natalie Nakase and her players have stayed focused on what they can control, and the schedule is not on that list. Some players still had fun with it. Point guard Veronica Burton suggested fans call in sick, saying she recommends it. Teammate Kiah Stokes added that everyone knows how to fake a cough. Guard Kaila Charles was more earnest, saying she has no doubt the Valkyries' fans will adjust, and that playing in a bigger arena lets more people come support women's basketball.
Thursday's attendance and viewership will show whether a weekday-morning start limits turnout for the league's biggest games.
Citazioni salienti
Absolutely, they will definitely find a way.— Shaunice Christmas-Miller, Valkyries fan
Call in sick, I recommend it.— Veronica Burton, Valkyries point guard
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