WNBA Moves Finals Games to Larger Atlanta Arena for Dream
The Atlanta Dream will host Games 3 and 4 of the WNBA Finals at State Farm Arena, significantly increasing seating capacity.
The WNBA is relocating Games 3 and 4 of the Finals to Atlanta's State Farm Arena, a move that will provide the Atlanta Dream with thousands of additional seats for their series against the Golden State Valkyries. This change necessitates adjustments to the game schedule, with Game 3 being moved to Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 8 p.m. ET, a day earlier than originally planned. Game 4 will remain on Saturday, Oct. 24, but its start time has been shifted from 3:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. ET.
To accommodate the WNBA Finals, the NBA's Atlanta Hawks have agreed to postpone their home opener against the Houston Rockets by 30 minutes, from 8 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. ET.
The shift to State Farm Arena, which has a capacity of approximately 17,000, represents a substantial increase from the Dream's usual home venue, the Gateway Center Arena, which seats around 3,500. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert stated that the move dramatically expands the seating capacity and offers more fans in the Southeast the opportunity to attend. This marks the first time the WNBA Finals will be held in Atlanta since 2013. Dream majority owner Larry Gottesdiener expressed that the change is what the players and fans deserve.
The best-of-seven series is set to commence on Saturday, Oct. 17, in San Francisco, with the Golden State Valkyries hosting the initial two games before the series transitions to Atlanta. Game 6, if necessary, is scheduled for Oct. 29 in Atlanta, though its specific venue has not yet been confirmed.
This decision comes after the Dream utilized only the lower bowl of the Gateway Center Arena for their semifinal opener against the New York Liberty, citing a short turnaround. That game reported 9,745 fans. The team later opened a portion of the upper level after selling out the approximately 8,800 lower-bowl seats. Previously, Atlanta sold out five of its six regular-season games at State Farm Arena, with notable attendance boosted by matchups against Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever and against the Las Vegas Aces. Other sellouts included a Barbie-themed game and HBCU and Divine Nine Night. The only non-sellout at State Farm Arena drew 9,685 fans against the Toronto Tempo.