Okay, so if there's this highly coveted "one spot" at the end of the period, it would be very difficult to claim. So if your assertions are true, putting forth all that effort and all those refreshes, at a time of the day that may not be convenient, wouldn't produce great results for that many people, as the top spots are limited and it simply wouldn't be worth it for many. It would lose its appeal.
Doing it when convenient - and this is a mobile phone game, so convenience is a good thing - would be the better option for the vast vast majority.
Also, I don't know if you're addressing someone else, but I never said the 24-hour window would need to restart at the same time for everyone.