Atlanta showed up for Game 6 of WNBA Finals in State Farm Arena: What the scene was like at Y'allhalla

ATLANTA -- There was some worry before Game 6 of the WNBA Finals at State Farm Arena regarding how many people would fill the 17,000 seats in the building. The Dream had moved Thursday's start time up to 12:30 pm ET, forcing many fans in attendance to use up PTO or miss school in order to attend. 

Those worries ended up being unfounded. The Atlanta faithful showed up in a big way, filling every seat before tipoff and creating an electric atmosphere that had the entire arena rocking. 

12:30pm ET tip for Finals Game 6, Atlanta showed up. Full stadium, crazy energy. https://t.co/h5BwMsGmdJ

It may have been early enough in the day for USA's Kate Scott to declare on the broadcast that "the word of the day is mimosa," but the Dream and their fans were wide awake. The energy in the crowd helped Atlanta build a 32-15 first quarter lead that it never relinquished in an 80-69 win.

Next up is a winner-take-all Game 7 on Saturday in San Francisco. The game is set for 8 p.m. ET, but pushing it back to midnight might provide the same type of advantage at Ballhalla.

Valkyries refuse to blame start time for loss

The three-hour time zone difference between Atlanta and San Francisco certainly seemed like it was a factor in the Valkyries coming out slowly, with only 15 first quarter points and 26 points at the half. Golden State's players wouldn't take the bait though, even when asked about it three separate times during their postgame press conferences. 

"They played at the same time as us, right?" Valkyries All-Star Gabby Williams noted. "It's not an excuse. We have to be better." 

The Dream certainly were the better team early. Angel Reese credited that quick start to their win not only in Game 6, but in Games 2 and 3 as well. 

"When we punch first, we have won every single game," Reese noted postgame. 

The Dream have also won every game Reese has made at least one 3-pointer. Reese went 2-of-8 from deep, shooting just 5-of-18 overall but hitting some timely buckets when the Valkyries went on a run in the 4th quarter. Reese also contributed 14 rebounds, six assists, and great defense. 

Reese was never supposed to be the main scorer for the Dream. She had taken over that role due to the cold shooting from Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray earlier in the series. Those two both broke out of their slumps, contributing 21 and 23 points respectively off a combined 9-of-13 from 3.

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Early start time leads to obstacles for fans

While State Farm did manage to fill up with Dream fans, many admitted to skipping work or school in order to attend. Mayor Andre Dickens, who sat courtside on Thursday, had urged employers and schools to show some grace for fans who wanted to support the team. 

Max Henner, a local Dream fan in attendance, told Sporting News that he was able to make his own schedule in order to attend the game. His other friends didn't have that option.

"A lot of my friends who haven't missed a game all season are being forced to miss this one because they don't have PTO," he said. 

Even for fans who were able to plan early, the path towards getting tickets was tricky due to the chaotic nature of the announcement. Henner got into the Ticketmaster online queue at 2 p.m. on Monday after he heard that tickets would go on sale at 4. The line opened an hour early, at 3, and he found himself 31,000th in line. After 50 minutes, he secured his ticket for Thursday.

Ally Graden, a college student, had to tell her professors that she was sick in order to attend Thursday's game. 

"I was going to try to get tickets no matter what," she told SN. "It was definitely hard, because I didn't know if I would have to call out [of work] last second or miss classes if it was earlier in the day. The uncertainty was a lot." 

Valkyries fans did make up around five or 10 percent of the crowd. Two of the team's season ticket holders, Matt, and Faye, told SN they took a 5 a.m. red eye to attend the game, with a 7 p.m. flight home. 

"It ended up being about the same price as attending a Valkyries game," Faye explained. 

The start time was even worse for fans in California, preventing many from watching on television.

"There's a ton of people that want to watch but are unable to. It's not even their lunch break back home," Faye said. "All the bars are opening early. They're trying to make it as fun as possible. But 9:30 a.m. is not doable for a lot of people." 

State Farm hosting went off without a hitch

The TV audience numbers will likely be down, but the 17,000 that were able to attend in person were treated to a show. Fans received more than just the rally towels in the lower bowl and free t-shirts after the game. Rapper T-Pain provided the halftime entertainment, getting the crowd roaring. 

I feel pity for the people who have never experienced a T-Pain concert at 1:36 pm local time https://t.co/xWkjfbDCJN

Other Southern-based musicians performed throughout the day, including Crime Mob, Webbie, Young Dro, and Boosie. Usher was in the building, hopping in to help record social media videos alongside Reese.

When your Atlanta Dream wnba finals ticket came with four concerts as well https://t.co/N3kk19t7C0

The atmosphere felt like a mix of a festival, a high-pressure basketball game, and a celebration of the city's unique culture. The festivities ended abruptly though, as the arena crew tried to clear out the crowd in order to prepare the building for a Hawks game at 8 p.m. 

As the Dream walked triumphantly off the court, the team's PA announcer gave the raucous crowd one last message. 

"This has been, by far, the greatest brunch ever."