Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream kept their championship hopes alive Thursday. Perhaps more importantly, they spared the WNBA a title celebration in the middle of a workday.

The Dream beat the Golden State Valkyries 80-69 at State Farm Arena, evening the best-of-seven Finals at 3-3 and forcing a deciding game Saturday at 8 p.m. ET at Chase Center in San Francisco.

Reese struggled to shoot the ball for a third consecutive game, finishing with 15 points on 5-for-18 shooting. She grabbed 14 rebounds and dished out six assists but also committed six turnovers.

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That made it three straight games with more turnovers than made field goals for the Dream star. Across Games 4, 5 and 6, Reese shot 9-for-38 from the floor (24%) and turned the ball over 15 times.

This time, Atlanta had enough offense around her. Allisha Gray scored 23 points and Rhyne Howard added 21, combining to make nine of their 13 three-point attempts.

Their shooting also ensured that the WNBA’s championship would be decided in prime time.

The league moved Game 6 from its originally scheduled 8 p.m. start to 12:30 p.m. Thursday to accommodate an arena doubleheader with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, who were hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers that night. Golden State fans back home had to tune in at 9:30 a.m. to watch their team try to win its first title.

There had also been questions about where the Valkyries would celebrate if they won.

ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported that a championship celebration could be moved to a practice court to accommodate preparations for the Hawks game. She later clarified that there was "a resolve" to make sure any championship won Thursday was celebrated on the court.

But that sounded an awful lot like damage control from the WNBA. Winning a championship and then moving the celebration to a practice court because the NBA needed the floor would have been a terrible look for the league.

Atlanta’s win made the issue moot.

The crowd deserved credit for showing up under the circumstances. State Farm Arena was largely filled for a Thursday afternoon, although there were more empty seats and the building was quieter at the start than it had been for Games 3 and 4.

Fans who spoke with OutKick outside the arena described taking time off work, pulling children out of school and difficult travel times to attend. Tiffany Hayes’ father, Renard Hayes, blamed the league and Atlanta for the scheduling predicament.

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Before tipoff, both teams again left the court for the national anthem, this time performed by rapper T.I.’s 10-year-old daughter, Heiress Harris. It was their sixth consecutive absence during the Finals.

Once the game began, Atlanta quickly took control.

The Dream made six of their eight first-quarter three-point attempts and built a 32-15 lead. Reese made only one of her four shots in the period, but contributed four assists, including passes that set up three of Atlanta’s threes.

Atlanta pushed its advantage to 25 points in the second quarter and took a 46-26 lead into halftime.

Golden State narrowed the deficit in the third, but Atlanta still led 63-47 entering the fourth.

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Reese scored five points in the final period, making a driving layup and a three-pointer with Atlanta already leading by double digits. She finished 2-for-8 from beyond the arc.

The Valkyries eventually got within eight. Gabby Williams completed a three-point play with 1:15 remaining, cutting Atlanta’s lead to 77-69 and fouling Howard out of the game.

Gray answered on the next possession, making a three-pointer off a Reese assist with 56 seconds left. That restored Atlanta’s double-digit lead and provided the final points of the afternoon.

Gray finished 8-for-12 from the field and 5-for-7 from three. Howard made four of her six three-point attempts, while Atlanta went 13-for-30 as a team.

Williams led Golden State with 26 points but shot 8-for-22. The Valkyries made just 22 of their 70 field-goal attempts.

Kiah Stokes, whose defense had been a major factor throughout the series, went scoreless and failed to block a shot in 20 minutes. That ended her streak of six consecutive playoff games with at least three blocks.

Reese and the Dream head to San Francisco for Game 7, with both franchises one win from their first championship.

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And the WNBA gets to award its trophy Saturday night, with no Hawks game waiting on the same floor.

Heiress Harris, the 10-year-old daughter of rapper T.I., sang the national anthem before Thursday's Game 6 of the WNBA Finals at State Farm Arena. But, as has been the case all series, the players weren't on the court for the performance.

Both the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries left the floor just before the young Black singer began "The Star-Spangled Banner," marking their sixth straight absence for the anthem in this series.

OutKick interviewed fans outside State Farm Arena prior to Game 6. They offered different views on the practice, with some wanting players on the floor and others defending their choice to leave.

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One defender of the practice was the father of Golden State guard Tiffany Hayes.

"This is America, by the way, and I’ve served this country, so they can choose what they want," Renard Hayes told OutKick.

Asked whether, as a veteran, he had an issue with the absences, he said he did not.

"I don’t have an issue with it because it’s not a disrespect of the flag," he said.

Hayes’ father, who said he lives in Florida, had criticized the game’s 12:30 p.m. start, blaming the league and Atlanta organization for the scheduling situation. On the anthem, however, he defended the players’ freedom to decide.

The game was moved from its originally scheduled 8 p.m. start to accommodate a doubleheader with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. Golden State entered Thursday leading the best-of-seven series 3–2 after winning Monday’s Game 5, 64–55, with a chance to clinch its first championship.

Some fans want players on the court, while others defend their choice

One Dream fan told OutKick she believed everyone should stand for the national anthem.

A male Valkyries fan said he respected the players’ opinions and beliefs but wanted them on the floor.

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"I do think they should be out there," he said.

Other fans were less troubled by the absences.

"They’ve been doing it for years," another Dream fan said. "And that’s their choice. It is what it is."

A woman who said she represents Valkyries center Kiah Stokes offered a similar view.

"I think it’s their decision," the representative said.

For one man attending with a female Dream fan, the question was more complicated. Asked whether he considered the absences disrespectful, he said, "Me personally, maybe a little bit."

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"But it doesn’t concern me that much either," he added. "Not particularly bothered by it."

Another Dream fan attending with his family said he respected the anthem and the players’ ability to decide whether to participate.

"But we live in a country where you have a choice, so I gotta respect it," he said.

Players and coaches say skipping anthem is a pregame routine

During media availability in Atlanta on Oct. 23, Golden State coach Natalie Nakase described the absences as part of the team’s pregame routine.

Those interviews were OutKick’s first opportunity to ask the anthem questions directly after attending all 13 formal press conferences during the first three games without being called on.

"We’re two years in," Nakase said. "That’s been part of our pregame."

Asked who established the routine and why, she said, "I really don’t know."

OutKick followed up: "What do you do during those 90 seconds that you’re off the court?"

"I’m with my staff, so I’m focused on my plays," Nakase said.

Golden State’s public relations staff then moved to the next reporter. OutKick did not get an opportunity to ask why those preparations needed to happen during the anthem rather than before or afterward.

Valkyries forward Gabby Williams denied that the team’s absence was a protest.

"No," she said.

Asked why the team was off the floor, Williams responded: "That’s been the routine for like, seven years now."

An Atlanta public relations representative moved to the next question after Dream coach Karl Smesko declined to explain his team’s absences.

"We’re just kind of focused on the Finals," Smesko said.

Asked whether he had any further comment about the anthem and his team’s absences, he said, "No."

Dream guard Rhyne Howard was asked about calls to exclude players from Team USA over their anthem conduct during the WNBA season.

Howard said she did not think she had been on the court for the anthem at any point during her tenure in Atlanta. She also defended her commitment to representing the United States internationally.

"When I go put on USA jersey I’m out for the national anthem every time, there’s no doubt about it," Howard said.

OutKick asked Howard why she was not on the court for the anthem with the Dream.

Howard and an Atlanta public relations representative both responded, "Next question."

WNBA policy and team decisions remain questions

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The WNBA’s 2026 official rulebook says players, coaches and trainers are to "stand and line up in a dignified posture" along the sidelines or on the foul line during the national anthem.

The Associated Press reported Oct. 20 that the league suspended its anthem protocols in 2017. The provision remains in the 2026 rulebook.

OutKick has asked the WNBA to clarify its current requirements and enforcement, whether discipline is planned or under consideration, and whether teams have received instructions about being on the floor.

The inquiries to the WNBA and both teams began after Game 1 on Oct. 17, with follow-ups Oct. 18 and Oct. 20. OutKick also contacted the NBA league office on Oct. 20 about its role in the matter.

OutKick has also asked Atlanta to confirm an arena employee’s account that Dream players stand in a hallway after leaving the floor before games, including whether they remain there during the anthem.

During Game 4, I attempted to observe what Atlanta’s players do after leaving the court. Arena staff said my credential did not grant access to that area and escorted me to my assigned media seat.

The WNBA, NBA and both teams’ front offices have not responded to OutKick’s emailed requests for comment about the anthem absences. The player and coach responses came during media availability.

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Six games into the Finals, fans disagree about whether the players should be on the court for the anthem. The teams still haven’t explained why their preparations require leaving it.

The father of Golden State Valkyries star Tiffany Hayes wasn't shy about blaming the WNBA for playing a potential championship-clinching game at 12:30 p.m. on a Thursday.

"I think it’s the league’s fault," Renard Hayes told OutKick outside State Farm Arena before Game 6 between his daughter’s Golden State Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream.

"It’s the league’s fault. And pretty much the Atlanta organization."

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He wasn’t alone in questioning the arrangement. Fans outside the arena described taking time off work, pulling children out of school and traveling hours to attend a game originally scheduled for 8 p.m.

The WNBA moved Game 6 to the afternoon to accommodate a doubleheader at State Farm Arena, where the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks were scheduled to host the Cleveland Cavaliers that night. Golden State entered Thursday with a 3-2 series lead and a chance to win its first championship.

Hayes, who said he lives in Florida, could make the early start work, but he expressed concern for the people who couldn’t.

"It’s kind of a shame about how they couldn’t handle the situation better or couldn’t be more prepared," he said.

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For Golden State fans watching in California, the game’s start time was 9:30 a.m.

"Probably have to take a break off work, take the day off or whatever like that," Hayes said. "But for me, I’m good with it. I’m okay with it."

He pointed to Golden State’s experience relocating a playoff game to San Jose last season as an example of having an alternative ready. He also questioned whether the Dream’s roughly 3,500-seat regular home, Gateway Center Arena, could have accommodated the demand for a Finals game.

Moving to State Farm Arena created room for more fans, but moving the start time created another obstacle to getting them there.

"We came from four hours away, so we’re not too thrilled. But we’re here," one Dream fan told OutKick, adding that the child accompanying her was out of school for the game.

Another Atlanta fan said she had been able to get off work, but recognized that others wouldn’t have that flexibility.

"For all of the other Dream fans, it’s not ideal," she said. "We would have rather played at nighttime."

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Another fan declined to appear on camera, telling OutKick she had called out sick and didn’t want her boss to see her at the game.

A father attending with his wife and two children offered a clarification after his interview: "We’re responsible parents, we swear!"

He said the children had attended school for two hours before leaving and completed all their work.

Several fans questioned why the NBA’s regular-season game received the evening slot while the WNBA’s potential championship clincher was played during the workday.

"We should have been prime time," one Dream fan said.

The father who brought his family called the arrangement "kind of disrespectful to the Dream," pointing out that the Hawks were only beginning their season.

The Hawks agreed to move their game to 8 p.m. to accommodate the doubleheader. But fans who spoke with OutKick argued that the Finals should have received priority.

One Valkyries supporter said the women deserved more respect and should have gotten the prime-time slot. Still, he welcomed the opportunity to play in a much larger arena.

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"It’s awesome that it’s being played at State Farm Arena rather than a 3,500-seat arena," he said. "So with that being in mind, I think that’s a win regardless."

Not everyone objected to the early start.

One Dream fan said she was fine with it and encouraged people who couldn’t attend to support the team wherever they were. A Valkyries fan who had arrived from San Francisco at 6 a.m. dismissed the suggestion that she might be tired.

"No. We’re ready," she said.

The league announced the scheduling change Monday, three days before Game 6, with tickets going on sale that afternoon.

Commissioner Cathy Engelbert praised the sellout crowds at State Farm Arena for Games 3 and 4 and emphasized the opportunity to accommodate thousands more fans. The league also announced plans for a coordinated promotional push with its broadcast partners to build awareness of the new start time.

OutKick asked the WNBA why it chose the afternoon start, what alternatives it considered and whether it was concerned about the potential impact on viewership. The league has not responded.

USA Sports, which is airing the game on USA Network, acknowledged that the afternoon start wasn’t ideal for attracting a television audience.

"The daytime window isn’t perfect from a TV audience perspective, but the league had to make a really difficult decision taking a lot into account across multiple stakeholders," a USA Sports spokesperson told OutKick in a statement.

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"What was important to us was to ultimately be a good partner and to be part of the solution here."

The fans outside State Farm Arena found ways to make Thursday work. Some took time off, and others brought children who otherwise would have been in school.

Hayes was happy to be there for his daughter, but that didn’t mean he thought the league had handled the situation well.

The logistics surrounding the WNBA Finals have drawn almost as much attention as the compelling, hard-fought action on the court.

After negotiations reportedly described as "tense," the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries learned they would play Game 6 at State Farm Arena in downtown Atlanta on Thursday. The game will tip off at 12:30 p.m. ET, making it a matinee on the East Coast and a breakfast-time start on the West Coast.

Several Atlanta players downplayed the early start time, instead focusing on the task ahead. The Dream will look to keep their championship hopes alive and a find a way to force a decisive Game 7. Golden State took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series Monday. The 12:30 p.m. ET tipoff drew mixed reactions, including from the Dream organization, which viewed the compromise as less than ideal.

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In an open letter released Wednesday, the Dream suggested their concerns about finding a venue with enough capacity to host WNBA Finals games "did not receive the attention they deserved." The team also said that moving Game 6 to the early afternoon was "not what we fought for."

Dream owners Larry and Robyn Gottesdiener, Suzanne Abair and Renee Montgomery said the team brought up concerns about potential scheduling conflicts months before the Finals started.

"Two months ago, when the WNBA finalized playoff dates and times, we raised concerns that the W Finals schedule conflicted with NBA games at State Farm Arena," the letter stated. "As we moved through the playoffs, we reiterated those concerns. Our concerns did not receive the attention, nor the urgency that they deserved."

All of Atlanta’s home playoff games this postseason have been played at State Farm Arena, the longtime home of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks. The venue can accommodate roughly 17,000 fans. For the past several seasons, the Dream’s primary home court has been Gateway Center Arena, which holds a WNBA-low 3,500 spectators. The Dream recently announced plans to return to State Farm Arena for all home games beginning in 2027.

The schedule changes have also affected the Hawks. Game 4 pushed Atlanta’s home game last Saturday against the Houston Rockets to 8:30 p.m., while Thursday’s Hawks-Cavaliers matchup will move to 8 p.m. to give arena crews time to prepare the building after the Dream-Valkyries game.

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Game 3 was moved up one day, meaning all three WNBA Finals games played in Atlanta have needed some level of schedule adjustments.

The ownership group also suggested the scheduling issues may have stemmed from an assumption Atlanta would not reach the Finals.

"Perhaps it was assumed that the Dream would not make it this far. Perhaps, our place in the Finals was not accounted for. Whatever the reason, the reality is that we are here. We earned our place in the Finals, and our city deserves the opportunity to show up for its team."

The Hawks also host the Miami Heat on Wednesday night, effectively ruling out an afternoon home game Thursday.

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"As much as we have great affection and nostalgia for Gateway Center Arena, we believed that our fans and the city wanted the opportunity to be a part of this historic series, and to see it played on a world-class stage," the letter continued. "That meant State Farm Arena."

ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne described the decision to schedule Game 6 on a weekday afternoon as "the best of the bad solutions."

Shelburne reported that moving Game 6 to Friday and Game 7 to Tuesday was among the options discussed. Tuesday, Nov. 3, is also Election Day for the midterm elections. The Golden State Warriors, who share Chase Center with the Valkyries, have home games scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 1, and Monday, Nov. 2.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert praised the sellout crowds for Games 3 and 4 and welcomed more fans for Game 6.

"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 in a statement on Monday. "We thank the NBA, Dream, Valkyries, Hawks, State Farm Arena and USA Network for the collaboration and flexibility that made this move possible. We look forward to delivering another unforgettable Finals experience in Atlanta."

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This year's playoff dates were distributed internally to teams on Dec. 4, 2025, ESPN reported, citing sources. The WNBA, Dream, Valkyries, Hawks, NBA and broadcast partners held discussions over the weekend as they worked to find a solution, according to ESPN.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens urged employers and educators to "extend a little grace" to Dream fans on Thursday afternoon.

"Whether they’re at the game or catching a few moments on their devices, please allow them to be excited for our home team," he wrote in a social media flyer.

Despite the logistical challenges, the Dream confirmed Wednesday that tickets for Game 6 had sold out.