WNBA Finals Game 6 gets primetime re-Air after controversial tipoff change

Those who can’t wake up early or skip out on work for Game 6 of the WNBA Finals between the Golden State Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream will get a second chance to watch in primetime.The potential championship matchup will be re-aired on USA Network and CNBC at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Oct. 29, the network announced Wednesday.This was the original scheduled broadcast window, before the game was moved to 12:30 p.m. ET (9:30 a.m. PT). It will air live on USA Network, E! and SYFY.The time change was made to accommodate the game being played at State Farm Arena, which will also host the Atlanta Hawks’ home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday, Oct. 29.The NBA game was moved an hour back from 7 p.m. ET to 8 p.m. ET. Even with that change, championship celebrations still might have to be moved to a practice court so that the arena can be flipped for the next game, if the Valkyries win the title Thursday.State Farm arena is a 17,000-seat venue that will provide nearly five times more seats than Gateway Center Arena, which is the Dream’s current home until their agreement to play all games at State Farm begins next season.Game 6 being moved to a matinee Finals game has garnered plenty of feedback since it was announced Monday, from Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr sarcastically saying it's “better than playing at the YMCA,” to the Dream placing the blame on the WNBA in an open letter to fans.The Valkyries won Game 5, 64-55, Monday at Chase Center in San Francisco with help from a dominant Kiah Stokes performance and established a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. If the Dream secure the victory Thursday, they’ll force a winner-take-all Game 7 back at Chase Center.USA Network will also air Game 7 after delivering the most-watched WNBA Finals Game 3 since 1999. The Dream’s 95-71 win led by Angel Reese averaged 1.71 million viewers, which is the second-best all-time and most-watched ever on cable, up 31% from 2025.Game 6’s early tipoff isn’t likely to draw any historic viewership numbers, but the primetime re-run might help.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WNBA Finals Game 6 gets primetime re-Air after controversial tipoff change