Deadspin | State Farm Arena to host WNBA Game 6 matinee Thursday

Game 6 of the WNBA Finals will shift to State Farm Arena in Atlanta with an early start. ESPN reported Monday that the matchup will be played on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. ET. The matinee scheduling also lets the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks play their regular-season game against the Cleveland Cavaliers that night at 8 p.m. ET. Without a deal for State Farm Arena, Thursday’s WNBA Game 6 between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries would have been held at the 3,500-seat Gateway Center Arena in suburban College Park, Georgia. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the arena’s sellouts for Games 3 and 4 were a success and that the league is excited to deliver another Finals experience in Atlanta.