Atlanta Dream to Host WNBA Finals in Smaller Venue Amid Scheduling Conflicts
The Dream will play their WNBA Finals home games at Gateway Center Arena, with a capacity of 3,500, due to conflicts with concert and NBA games at the larger State Farm Arena.
The Atlanta Dream will host games of the WNBA Finals at their usual home, the Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia, which has a capacity of 3,500. Attempts to move the games to the larger, 17,000-seat State Farm Arena were unsuccessful due to scheduling conflicts.
State Farm Arena was slated to host potential Game 3, Game 4, and Game 6 matchups of the WNBA Finals. However, a concert by Sombr on October 22 and two Atlanta Hawks regular-season games on October 24 and October 29 made these dates unavailable for the Dream.
This decision comes shortly after the Dream announced a multi-year agreement to play all their home games at State Farm Arena starting in 2027. The announcement, made last week, highlighted the growing franchise and the desire to accommodate a larger fan base. Morgan Shaw Parker, president and COO of the Dream, expressed excitement about the move, stating that State Farm Arena would provide a bigger stage for women's basketball in Atlanta and allow them to welcome thousands of additional fans.
Despite the long-term plan to play at the larger venue, the inability to secure it for the Finals means the team will continue to play in their current arena for the championship series. The Dream had previously hosted three postseason games at State Farm Arena this season.
