The WNBA moved a potential championship-clinching game from Primetime to Thursday afternoon.
asserted
WNBA → move → afternoon
It has yet to answer OutKick’s questions about why it chose a weekday afternoon over other options.
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it → have → options
Game 6 between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries will tip off at 12:30 p.m. ET Thursday at State Farm Arena, rather than its originally scheduled 8 p.m. start.
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Game → tip → start
For Golden State fans watching back home, that’s 9:30 a.m. PT.
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that → watch → fans
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page → contain → partners
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News → sign → wager
This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom.
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that → create → newsroom
The game will still air on the USA Network and stream on Peacock.
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game → air → Peacock
The Valkyries lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 and can win their first championship Thursday.
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Valkyries → lead → championship
Atlanta needs a victory to force Game 7, which will be played Saturday at 8 p.m. ET at Chase Center in San Francisco.
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which → need → Francisco
Unless the WNBA runs into yet another scheduling issue, of course.
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WNBA → run → course
OutKick asked Versant, USA Network’s parent company, what role it had in choosing or approving the new start time and whether it supported the move.
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it → ask → move
A source at the company said the scheduling change was the WNBA’s decision, but did not say whether USA Network approved the new start time or supported the move.
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Network → say → move
Why did the WNBA decide that a weekday afternoon was the best time for one of its biggest games?
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afternoon → decide → games
The league has not responded to OutKick’s questions about the decision, the alternatives considered or concerns about the potential impact on viewership.
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league → respond → viewership
The NBA’s Atlanta Hawks host the Cleveland Cavaliers at State Farm Arena that night.
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Hawks → host → Arena
The Hawks agreed to move their start time to 8 p.m. to accommodate the WNBA game and the arena turnaround.
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Hawks → agree → game
The teams used a similar arrangement for Game 4 on Saturday, with the WNBA game starting at 1 p.m. and the Hawks tipping off at 8:30 p.m.
Keeping Game 6 at State Farm Arena allows the Dream to accommodate substantially more fans than their roughly 3,500-seat regular home, Gateway Center Arena.
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Dream → use → home
And give Atlanta credit: Fans filled the larger building for Games 3 and 4.
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Fans → give → Games
I previously questioned whether the Dream could fill State Farm Arena for the Finals, but they answered that with sellout crowds and a loud atmosphere.
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they → question → crowds
Of course, neither Game 3 nor Game 4 was played at a time when most adults are at work and most kids are in school.
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kids → play → school
According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, another option under strong consideration was playing Game 6 on Friday at State Farm Arena and moving a potential Game 7 to Tuesday, Nov. 3, at Chase Center in San Francisco.
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option → accord → Francisco
Instead, the league kept Game 6 on Thursday and preserved the potential Halloween Game 7.
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league → keep → Game
Moving Game 6 to Friday and a potential Game 7 to Tuesday would have extended the series that began Oct. 17 into November if a seventh game were needed.
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game → move → November
Shelburne initially reported on ESPN’s "NBA Today" that a potential championship celebration could be moved to a practice court because of the arena turnaround.
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celebration → report → turnaround
She later clarified that there was "a resolve" to ensure any championship won Thursday would be celebrated on the court.
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championship → clarify → court
Winning a championship, then having to move the celebration to a practice court because the NBA needs the floor, would be a terrible look for the WNBA.
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NBA → win → WNBA
In its announcement, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert emphasized the opportunity to keep the game in the larger arena.
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Engelbert → emphasize → arena
"The sellout crowds and extraordinary atmosphere at State Farm Arena for Games 3 and 4 were a tremendous success, and we’re excited to give thousands more fans the opportunity to experience Game 6 with a championship on the line," Engelbert said.
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Engelbert → ’re → line
She also thanked the NBA, both teams, the Hawks, State Farm Arena and USA Network for their collaboration and flexibility.
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She → thank → collaboration
But thousands more available seats don’t necessarily mean thousands more people can attend.
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people → mean → ?
Fans who made Wednesday night and Saturday afternoon work now have to figure out a Thursday lunchtime tipoff.
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who → make → tipoff
The same problem applies to the television audience.
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problem → apply → audience
Golden State fans who want to watch their team play for a championship will have to tune in at 9:30 on a Thursday morning.
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team → want → morning
The league announced the change Monday, three days before the game, with tickets going on sale that afternoon.
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tickets → announce → sale
The WNBA said it would work with the NBA and its broadcast partners on a coordinated marketing campaign across television, digital and social platforms to promote the new start time.
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it → say → time
More promotion might help people find the game, but it won’t change when they have to work.
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they → help → game
But the league has been asked to explain why a potential championship clincher had to leave prime time.
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clincher → ask → time
With fans being asked to rearrange their schedules, the WNBA should at least explain how it arrived at this one.
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it → ask → one
The Aporia
