Atlanta Dream’s WNBA Finals Move to Bigger Arena Comes With Schedule Change

The Atlanta Dream will now play Games 3 and 4 of the WNBA Finals vs the Golden State Valkyries at State Farm Arena.

Oct 9, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) reacts after defeating hte New York Liberty in game three of the second round for the 2026 WNBA Playoffs at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Atlanta Dream's arena issue as it pertains to their WNBA Finals series against the Golden State Valkyries had become a topic of conversation in recent days. That's because it looked like the Dream would host their home games at Gateway Center Arena, which holds only 3,500 fans.

This is because State Farm Arena, the larger venue the Dream play some games in and will be moving to full-time in 2027 was booked for Atlanta Hawks games and a concert during the Finals.

And other solutions, like playing at say Georgia Tech, came with complications, including disrupting the team's routine given the smaller Gateway Center is where the Dream have played most of their home games.

Fortunately, a solution has been reached and the Dream will now play Games 3 and 4 of the Finals at State Farm Arena—thanks to a schedule change.

The WNBA announced that Game 3, originally scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 22, will now be played on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 8:00 p.m. ET. While Game 4 will remain on Saturday, Oct. 24, with tip-off moving to 1:00 p.m. ET from 3:30 p.m. ET. The Hawks pushed the tip of their home opener on that same day back slightly to accommodate.

Credit to all involved for making this happen, as now the surging Dream can have more fans in attendance in Atlanta.

Home-Court Advantage More Even for Finals With Move

Angel Reese and company could have been staring at an increased homecourt disadvantage in the Finals. Not only do the Valkyries, as the higher-seeded team, get one more potential home game in the best-of-seven series than the Dream do, but they have filled Chase Center to capacity all season.

So, if they were to have 18,000+ in the building in the Bay area, and Atlanta was to play in front of fewer than 4,000 spectators, that would have given them even more of an edge in that department.

Regardless, the Valkyries will still have unwavering support at Ballhalla, and perhaps from the bandwagon fans Gabby Williams predicted they'd acquire, but no longer will things be lopsided when it comes to venue accommodations.

The WNBA Finals begin on Saturday, October, 17, from San Francisco at 3:30 p.m. E.T. Game 1 will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.

Both teams enter the decisive series playing their best basketball, so it's only appropriate the WNBA Finals take place on a bigger stage.