Valkyries player's dad puts WNBA on blast over unusual Finals start: 'It's the league's fault'

"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.This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners.If you sign up or place a wager, FOX News may be compensated.

This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom."It’s the league’s fault.And pretty much the Atlanta organization."Golden State Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes shoots against Dallas Wings forward Jessica Shepard during the first half of Game 3 of the first-round WNBA playoff series on Friday, Oct.

2, 2026, in San Francisco, California.(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)VALKYRIES STARS TELLS FANS TO ‘CALL IN SICK’ FOR GAME 6 AS EARLY WNBA FINALS TIPOFF SPARKS FAN REACTIONHe 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.An overall view of State Farm Arena during Game 3 of the 2026 WNBA Finals between the Golden State Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream on Oct.

21, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia.(NBAE via Getty Images)DREAM OWNERSHIP GROUP VOICES FRUSTRATION IN OPEN LETTER OVER WNBA FINALS VENUE CONCERNSFor 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...