Andy Backstrom Contributing writer Sat, October 31, 2026 at 7:59 PM UTC · 3 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In this story The scheduling complications leading up to Game 6 of this year's WNBA Finals fueled plenty of contentious conversation . Ultimately, however, the much-discussed and controversial 12:30 p.m. ET start didn't affect the attendance at Atlanta's State Farm Arena on Thursday afternoon.
The Dream announced a sellout, and the crowd's energy was palpable throughout the home team's series-extending 80-69 victory over the Golden State Valkyries .
Plus, according to a Saturday release from USA Sports PR, Game 6 was the fifth most-watched WNBA Finals game on cable to date.
USA Sports' coverage averaged 1.5 million viewers across linear platforms — USA Network, E! and SYFY — and streaming, which was led by Peacock. That figure, based on Nielsen panel-only data and digital data from Adobe Analytics, represents a 4% increase in viewership from last year's WNBA Finals series-clinching game, which the Las Vegas Aces won 97-86 to sweep the Phoenix Mercury. Granted, the Aces came into that matchup with a 3-0 series lead, but it tipped off in prime time at 8 p.m. ET on a Friday.
It's also worth noting that, when factoring in encore presentations on USA Network and CNBC in the original 8 p.m. ET broadcast window on Thursday, USA Sports averaged a total of 1.7 million viewers for this year's Game 6.
That signified the second time USA Sports has averaged that many viewers for a rescheduled WNBA Finals game, after the third game in the series was the most-watched WNBA Finals Game 3 since 1999 , following its move from Oct. 22 to Oct. 21.
Heading into the series, the location of the Dream's home games was undecided. The team's arena, the Gateway Center Arena at College Park, holds just 3,500 fans. Atlanta had been hosting its playoff games at State Farm Arena, which seats north of 17,000 people, but is also where the NBA's Hawks play.
In order to keep playing at State Farm Arena, the Dream and the W had to work with the Hawks' regular-season schedule, leading to a particularly large headache during the heart of the WNBA Finals.
If the stadium was going to fit both a previously scheduled Hawks game on Thursday night, as well as Game 6 of the WNBA Finals that same day, Game 6 was going to have to tip off early, a highly scrutinized compromise.
Dream ownership clarified this week that, months ago, and again during the playoffs, it raised concerns about scheduling conflicts like that one . Those concerns, according to Dream ownership, "did not receive the attention, nor the urgency that they deserved."
There ended up not being a rushed championship celebration Thursday afternoon, as the Valkyries — then up 3-2 in the series — were defeated by an Atlanta squad that came out firing from beyond the arc.
Even though the Dream finished the first quarter with a 17-point lead and went up by as many as 25 points, Golden State rallied to make things interesting late. Watch parties — including those in the West, where it was still morning at the time of tipoff — were popping with fervor .
Up next is the first-ever WNBA Finals Game 7. Whoever wins will take home their first league title in franchise history.
The winner-take-all contest is taking place Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET in San Francisco's Chase Center.
Source: Sports
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