If Game 6 of the WNBA Finals between the Golden State Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream is anything short of a fun, exhilarating celebration of elite basketball between two top-tier WNBA teams, it will be the media's fault.
Game 6 was originally scheduled to be played on Thursday night at Gateway Center Arena, a 3,500-seat arena by the Atlanta airport where the Dream played most of their games this season. To accommodate more fans, the WNBA moved the game to the 17,000-seat State Farm Arena -- but to do so, they moved up tipoff to 12:30 pm ET.
Everyone is mad about Game 6
The outcry has been tremendous. Every major media outlet is lighting the WNBA up over the decision -- how long it took, the way it was communicated, and the ultimate decision to hold a potential title-clinching game in the middle of the day -- which, for Golden State Valkyries fans back home, will start at 9:30 am ET.
Two events in the WNBA seem to catch ESPN's full attention: Caitlin Clark getting hit in the face, and the WNBA "messing" something up. They brought in Ramona Shelburne from So-Cal to report on how the WNBA was fumbling Game 6. Brian Hamilton at The Athletic ripped the league a new one, calling the situation an embarrassment. Everyone with even a tangential connection to the W and a Twitter account has lit the league up.
The consensus seems to be that the WNBA blew the entire situation, and that if Commissioner Cathy Engelbert were any good at the job she is about to step down from, she would have made a better decision. All of the "goodwill" and "celebration" the WNBA deserves right now is being eclipsed by the "Game 6 debacle."
Here's the reality: if any of the WNBA's positive momentum is stalled by Game 6, it will be the media's fault for whining and complaining about the decision. Because if they would just shut up about it, they'll realize that Game 6 is actually going to be awesome.
Game 6 is going to be awesome
First off, roughly 14,000 more fans are going to be able to watch a WNBA Finals game live than if the game remained at Gateway Center Arena -- which is the Dream's home arena for one more week. Next season, they will move to State Farm Arena full-time. For now, this is an upgrade.
If the 12:30 time was going to be prohibitive to fans coming out to watch the game, they probably would not have sold over 10,000 tickets in 90 minutes after opening them up to the general public. State Farm is almost certainly going to sell out this matinee game.
What about the viewing public? To be sure, West Coast fans will need to figure out work arrangements for a morning game. East Coast fans need to carve out an extended lunch break. It's different, but it's not impossible.
The World Cup this year was hosted by the United States, but as an international sport, the games were not always on East Coast Prime Time. Many games, including multiple thrilling matches hosted in Atlanta, had afternoon start times. And people showed up and tuned in by the millions. The novelty of it added to the fun.
March Madness is one of the best sporting events in the world, and part of the fun is that it starts at noon on a weekday. It's unique! It's different! Daytime basketball is a blast!
Consider for a moment if Game 6 had remained on Thursday night and the Atlanta Hawks had moved their game. The WNBA would have had a more "respected" time slot. They also would have gone up against Thursday Night Football, College Football, the NHL and the NBA. Eyes would have been diverted left and right.
Everyone is mocking the WNBA by talking about "daytime soaps" but General Hospital is not going to compete with a WNBA fan's attention. All eyes will be on Game 6. It is unique, and the novelty is going to generate interest and make this game memorable, no matter the outcome.
Could the communication have been better? Absolutely. The WNBA can learn some things from this situation. At the end of the day, however, the media has given oxygen to their own accusation: that Game 6 being moved to the afternoon is a problem.
It doesn't have to be. If we can all set down the outrage for just a moment, we can all enjoy a wonderful Game 6. It's going to be awesome.
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