WNBA Adjusts Finals Schedule to Accommodate Atlanta Dream's Home Games at State Farm Arena

The WNBA has revised its Finals schedule to allow the Atlanta Dream to host Games 3 and 4 at the 17,000-seat State Farm Arena, averting a scenario where the team might have had to play in a venue with a capacity of only 3,500. This adjustment addresses scheduling conflicts that had previously threatened the Dream's ability to utilize their preferred larger venue for their first Finals appearance since 2013.

Game 3 has been moved to Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 8 p.m. ET, and Game 4 will now tip off at 1 p.m. ET on Oct. 24, instead of its originally scheduled 3:30 p.m. ET start. To facilitate these changes, the NBA's Atlanta Hawks agreed to push back the start time of their game against the Rockets by 30 minutes, to 8:30 p.m. ET on Oct. 24.

The decision ensures the Dream can play in a significantly larger arena than their usual home, the Gateway Center Arena in College Park, which seats 3,500. Alternative venues had been explored, including Georgia Tech's McCamish Pavilion, which holds 8,600 fans, but State Farm Arena emerged as the preferred option.

Larry Gottesdiener, majority owner of the Atlanta Dream, expressed gratitude for the collaborative effort. "This is what the players and the fans deserve," Gottesdiener stated. "We are grateful to all of the stakeholders who worked together to resolve the conflicts and make this happen."

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert highlighted the broad cooperation involved. "We are grateful for the efforts made by numerous stakeholders, including the Dream, the Valkyries, the Hawks, State Farm Arena, and NBC Sports and USA Sports," Engelbert said. "The change of venue dramatically expands the seating capacity and ensures that the Dream will be able to provide an extraordinary atmosphere for the first WNBA Finals game to be played in the Atlanta market since 2013. We are pleased that thousands more fans across the Southeast region will have the opportunity to experience the ultimate WNBA action – the WNBA Finals – in person."

Should the best-of-seven series extend to six games, a potential conflict remains for Oct. 29, as the Hawks are scheduled to host the Cavaliers that evening. The WNBA Finals are scheduled to commence on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 3:30 p.m. ET at Chase Center in San Francisco. The Dream had already announced their intention to host all home games at State Farm Arena in 2027, having played nine games there during the 2026 season, including regular-season and playoff matchups.