Valkyries Fans Send Message Over WNBA Finals Game 6 Tip Time

A fan-made sign appeared on the Chase Center video board during a timeout Monday night as the Golden State Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream 64-55 in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals, the Bay Area News Group reported.

It read, “Move the Hawks game. Women = Prime Time.”

Earlier that day, the league had set Game 6 for 12:30 p.m. ET Thursday at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. That is 9:30 a.m. in the Bay Area.

Golden State leads the best-of-seven series 3-2. One more win would give the second-year franchise its first championship.

Game 6 had been scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. The Atlanta Hawks host the Cleveland Cavaliers there that night, and that game was moved back an hour to 8 p.m. ET.

Tickets for Game 6 did not go on sale until Monday afternoon.

Rest and recovery are Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase’s main concerns with the early start.

“The beauty of Ballhalla is they’ll sacrifice,” Nakase said Monday, according to the Bay Area News Group. “They’re going to sacrifice. They’re going to open that app. They’re going to open their phone. They’re going to watch.”

Ballhalla is the nickname for Chase Center on Valkyries game nights.

Golden State held Atlanta to 19-of-65 shooting there Monday.

Kiah Stokes finished with 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks. She made 3-of-4 from 3-point range.

Veronica Burton also scored 13 and added 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 blocks.

Tiffany Hayes scored 12 points. She played 10 seasons for Atlanta before coming out of retirement two years ago, and Nakase has started her in each of the last two games.

Gabby Williams went 3-of-14 from the field and scored 9.

For the Dream, Rhyne Howard had 20 points. Angel Reese grabbed 15 rebounds to go with 7 points and 5 assists.

Dream coach Karl Smesko said the only difference for either team Thursday is that neither will hold a shootaround.

“I’d like to see it be a national holiday for all WNBA championship games so whatever somebody can do,” Smesko said Monday. “I hope everybody gets to see it somehow and I know that for some people it’s not realistic, they have jobs and won’t be able to make it. So I’m disappointed for that but I’m really hopeful that as many people can see the game as possible.”

Atlanta plays its regular-season home games at Gateway Center Arena in College Park, which holds about 3,500.

Every Dream home game this postseason has been at State Farm Arena, which seats about 17,000. The team moves there full time in 2027.

Game 4 on Saturday was also a matinee. It tipped at 1 p.m. ET, 2 1/2 hours earlier than first planned, so the arena could host the Hawks’ home opener that night.

Golden State won it 67-62.

If the Valkyries close out the series Thursday, State Farm Arena still has to be ready for the Hawks that night, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne said Monday on “NBA Today.”

“I’ve heard there are discussions about whether there’s enough time to turn the arena over in time for the fans to celebrate on the court,” Shelburne said. “It could be moved to a practice court.”

The first four games went two apiece.

Golden State won the opener 68-64 at Chase Center on Oct. 17, and Atlanta took Game 2 79-65 two nights later.

The Dream then won Game 3 97-71 on Oct. 21. It was the first WNBA Finals game played in the Atlanta market since 2013.

Neither franchise has won a WNBA title.

If Atlanta wins Thursday, Game 7 is Saturday, Oct. 31, at Chase Center. It tips at 8 p.m. ET on USA Network and Peacock.