Dream fill arena for decisive Game 6

The Atlanta Dream announced on Wednesday that Game 6 of the WNBA Finals against the Golden State Valkyries has sold out. The match is scheduled for Thursday at 12:30 p.m. EDT at State Farm Arena. The Valkyries lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 and will secure their first championship with a victory. The Dream must win to force a Game 7 on Saturday in San Francisco.

The 12:30 p.m. start time drew criticism due to the risk of a sparse crowd during work and school hours. The sold-out status confirms approximately 17,000 fans will attend. This marks the third time in the series that the Dream have filled the arena. The team has played most home games this season at Gateway Center Arena, a venue with a capacity of roughly 3,500.

On Oct. 6, the Dream confirmed a multiyear agreement to play all home games at State Farm Arena beginning next season. The current schedule required a complex negotiation because of a concert and an NBA game at the larger venue. The Atlanta Hawks have a home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers scheduled for Thursday night. The league chose the early WNBA tipoff over a primetime game at the smaller Gateway Center Arena.

The scheduling decision triggered an open letter from the Dream ownership group, which includes Robyn and Larry Gottesdiener, Suzanne Abair, and Renee Montgomery. The owners stated that the league was slow to address scheduling conflicts raised two months prior. The letter argued that the team earned its place in the Finals and that the city deserved the opportunity to support them.

State Farm Arena will undergo a second court transformation during the Finals. The Hawks moved their start time from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. to allow staff sufficient time to remove the Dream court and install the Hawks court. A similar shift occurred before Game 4, when the Dream played an early matinee ahead of a Hawks game against Houston.

The Valkyries have improved defensively after a 97-71 loss in Game 3. They held the Dream to 67 points in Game 4 and 55 points in Game 5. Angel Reese, who recorded three consecutive double-doubles in the series opener, has made only two field goals in each of the last two games. The Dream ranked third in the league in scoring with 90.8 points per game. The Valkyries allowed a league-low 75.1 points per game.

The WNBA draft lottery is set for Nov. 15. Houston and Toronto have the best odds for the No. 1 pick, which could be awarded to USC star JuJu Watkins. The draft itself is scheduled for April 12. The lottery will air at 4:30 p.m. PT following a college basketball game.