The Atlanta Dream are still searching for a venue to host their WNBA finals games against the Golden State Valkyries after scheduling conflicts ruled out State Farm Arena in downtown Atlanta.
The Dream are scheduled to host Games 3 and 4 of the best-of-seven series on 22 and 24 October, along with Game 6 on 29 October if necessary. But State Farm Arena, the 17,044-seat home of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, is unavailable on all three dates.
Arena booked for concerts and Hawks games
The arena is hosting a concert by singer Sombr on 22 October and Hawks regular-season games on 24 and 29 October.
Atlanta’s regular home venue, Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia, holds just 3,500 spectators for basketball. The Dream have been exploring larger alternatives, including the 13,000-seat Gas South Arena in Duluth and Georgia Tech’s 8,600-seat McCamish Pavilion, but have yet to secure an agreement, USA Today reported.
Decision not yet announced
Dream president and chief operating officer Morgan Shaw Parker said last week that the team were “finalizing details on their home venue and where we will be playing”. The team and the WNBA had not announced a decision as of Sunday night.
Atlanta played six of their 22 regular-season home games at State Farm Arena this season and hosted all three of their previous home playoff games there, averaging 9,695 fans.
Move to State Farm Arena planned for 2027
The Dream announced last week that they will move to State Farm Arena full-time beginning in 2027 under a multi-year agreement. The move coincides with the WNBA’s expansion to a 50-game regular season, giving Atlanta 25 home dates.
Golden State, meanwhile, will host Games 1 and 2, along with Games 5 and 7 if necessary, at the 18,064-seat Chase Center in San Francisco. The Valkyries have sold out every home game this season, becoming the first women’s professional sports team to exceed $100m in annual revenue.
Previous finals at alternate venues
The WNBA has previously staged finals games at alternate venues because of scheduling conflicts. Atlanta hosted a game during the 2013 finals at what is now Gas South Arena, while the Washington Mystics played three games of the 2019 finals at their 4,200-seat home arena.
The Dream are making their first finals appearance since 2013 after sweeping the Mystics in the first round and the 2024 champion New York Liberty in the semi-finals. Atlanta have reached the finals three times previously, in 2010, 2011 and 2013, but have never won a game in the championship series.
