The Atlanta Dream will host at least two of their WNBA Finals home games at Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia, which seats 3,500 people, instead of the larger State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The team has yet to confirm if a larger venue will be secured for additional games in the best-of-7 series against the Golden State Valkyries.
The Dream were originally slated to play their home games at State Farm Arena, which holds approximately 17,000 seats, but the venue is booked for all three potential Finals dates. A SOMBR concert is scheduled for Oct. 22, and the Atlanta Hawks have regular-season games on Oct. 24 and Oct. 29, according to the arena’s event schedule. The team’s president and COO, Morgan Shaw Parker, stated last week that the franchise was “finalizing details” on their home venue for the Finals.
Efforts to relocate the games to larger nearby venues, such as Gas South Arena (13,000 seats) or Georgia Tech’s McCamish Pavilion (8,600 seats), have faced obstacles, USA Today reported. The WNBA deferred questions to the Dream, which did not immediately respond to inquiries from The Los Angeles Times on Monday.
The Golden State Valkyries, making their first-ever WNBA Finals appearance as the quickest expansion team to reach the championship series, swept the Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals. The Finals are set to begin Saturday in California, with Game 3 scheduled for Oct. 22 and Game 4 for Oct. 24 if needed. Ticket sales for the Atlanta games have not yet opened.
Venue Capacity and Fan Access
Gateway Center Arena, the Dream’s primary home venue since 2021, has a basketball seating capacity of 3,500. The team played six regular-season games and all three home playoff games this season at State Farm Arena, which will become their official home venue starting next season. The smaller capacity at Gateway Center Arena may limit fan attendance for the high-profile Finals matchups, particularly with star players like Angel Reese and Rhyne Howard on the roster.
Scheduling Challenges
The conflict at State Farm Arena highlights the logistical challenges of securing prime dates for major sporting events amid competing entertainment and sports schedules. The Dream’s inability to secure State Farm Arena for Finals dates has prompted discussions about potential adjustments to future scheduling practices within the league.
The team has not announced whether additional home games in the series will be moved to a larger venue or if all remaining home games will proceed at Gateway Center Arena. The WNBA Finals schedule remains subject to change pending further updates from the Dream organization.