Babe's Sports Bar hosts WNBA Finals Game 6 watch party despite early start: "Women's sports is good business"

Babe's Sports Bar in Logan Square was packed with fans watching WNBA Finals Game 6, despite it being moved to a morning tip-off to make way for a men's NBA game Thursday night.

The game between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries was moved to State Farm Arena because they wanted to play in a bigger arena to accommodate a bigger crowd, and all of them were booked. But the Atlanta Hawks were already set to play the Cleveland Cavaliers at the arena today, in a regular season game.

The NBA, the WNBA and the teams involved all spent days trying to find a better way. There evidently wasn't one.

The Hawks game was moved to 8 p.m. ET, while the WNBA Finals game – in which the Valkyries will either win a championship or the Dream will force the first Game 7 in league history – tipped off at 12:30 p.m. ET. That means the game started at 9:30 a.m. in the Valkyries' home state.

Babe's Sports Bar only shows women's sports, and decided to open early to host fans during the workday.

They called the decision to move the game early "disrespectful and out of touch," but wanted to provide a space for WNBA fans to watch and a chance to be part of a community built around women's sports.

The bar has been standing room only for every championship game, including the WNBA finals.

"I think it's yet another example of a hurdle that women's sports has to jump over that men's sports doesn't," said owner Nora McConnell.

Critics said scheduling a finals game during normal business and school hours is a slap in the face for women's sports.

The debate extends well beyond Babe's, and while the early start meant fans had to rearrange schedules, they were determined to make it work.

"Just putting this in the middle of the day just shows how we devalue women in this society, and all of us showing out in this moment just shows we're here and we're here to support these teams," said Simona Flores.

The Valkyries, for their part, had some ideas on how fans could manage the early start time.

"Call in sick," guard Veronica Burton said. "I recommend it."

Added forward Kiah Stokes: "Don't y'all know how to fake a cough?"

For Babe's, the huge turnout Thursday, even during the middle of the day, sends a message: the demand for women's sports is here.

"It is still lost on people that women's sports is good business," McConnell said.

Ultimately, the Dream did force the WNBA's first-ever Game 7. They beat the Valkyries 80-69.