Atlanta Dream move WNBA Finals Games 3 and 4 to State Farm Arena
In short
The Atlanta Dream will host WNBA Finals Games 3 and 4 against the Golden State Valkyries at State Farm Arena after scheduling changes announced Tuesday. Game 3 moves to October 21, while Game 4 stays on October 24 with an earlier tipoff at 1 p.m. ET.
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The Atlanta Dream will play Games 3 and 4 of the WNBA Finals against the Golden State Valkyries at State Farm Arena after changes to the schedule resolved venue conflicts. The WNBA and NBA announced the arrangements Tuesday. The downtown Atlanta arena has 17,004 seats, according to NBC News, compared with the 3,500-seat Gateway Center Arena in nearby College Park. [ 8 , 11 ]
Game 3, originally scheduled for October 22, will be played on October 21. Game 4 will remain on October 24, but its start will move to 1 p.m. ET. The Atlanta Hawks agreed to move their game against the Houston Rockets that night from 8 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. ET. The original Finals dates had conflicted with a Sombr concert on October 22 and the Hawks' game on October 24. [ 8 , 11 ]
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the venue change substantially expands seating capacity and gives thousands more fans across the Southeast the opportunity to attend. Dream majority owner Larry Gottesdiener thanked those who worked together to resolve the conflicts. The team had already used State Farm Arena for playoff home games, NBC News reported, with average attendance of 9,745. The Dream reached the Finals by sweeping the New York Liberty. [ 8 , 11 ]
The best-of-seven series begins October 17 at Chase Center in San Francisco, with the higher-seeded Valkyries hosting Game 1. Earlier reports had described the Dream's search for a larger home venue while Gateway Center Arena remained the prospective location. NBC News reported that the Dream will begin playing home games full-time at State Farm Arena next season under a multiyear deal. [ 2 , 3 , 8 , 11 ]
Why it matters
State Farm Arena has about 17,000 seats, compared with 3,500 at Gateway Center Arena. The change allows thousands more fans to attend the Dream's Finals home games.
Key facts
- Games 3 and 4 will be held at State Farm Arena instead of Gateway Center Arena. [ 7 , 8 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]
- Game 3 moves from October 22 to October 21. [ 8 , 11 ]
- Game 4 remains on October 24 but moves to a 1 p.m. ET tipoff. [ 8 ]
- The Hawks agreed to move their October 24 game against Houston to 8:30 p.m. ET. [ 8 ]