ATLANTA — The No. 4 seed Atlanta Dream (30-14) will play Games 3 and 4 of the WNBA Finals against the No. 2 seed Golden State Valkyries (32-12) at State Farm Arena after adjustments were made to accommodate the team’s home games and the Atlanta Hawks’ season opener.
The Dream, which normally plays its home games at Gateway Center Arena in College Park, worked with the WNBA to secure State Farm Arena to accommodate larger crowds for the championship series.
The Gateway Center Arena in College Park only has 3,500 seats, where State Farm Arena has more than 17,000.
Game 3, originally scheduled for Thursday, has been moved to Wednesday, October 21, at 8 p.m.
Game 4 will remain on Saturday, October 24, but will begin at 1 p.m.
“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,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy 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.”
The scheduling changes will allow the Hawks to host their 2026 home opener against the Houston Rockets at State Farm Arena later that same evening. The Hawks’ game has been pushed back 30 minutes and will now begin at 8:30 p.m.
The Valkyries host the Atlanta Dream for Game 1 scheduled Saturday Oct. 17 at Chase Center in San Francisco, with tip-off set for 8:30 p.m.
“We are thrilled that we will be able to accommodate the Dream as they host Games 3 and 4 of the WNBA Finals at State Farm Arena. Playing for a championship is special, and we want the Dream to feel the full support of the city during this amazing run,” said Andrew Saltzman, President of Business Enterprise and Chief Commercial Officer of the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena.
“The Dream is grateful to the Golden State Valkyries, the Hawks, the NBA, the WNBA, and both league’s broadcast partners. Without their focus and flexibility, this would not have happened,” the Dream and Hawks said in a joint statement.
The adjustments give the Dream an opportunity to play their first two home games of the championship series at State Farm Arena in the best-of-seven WNBA Finals.
Last week, the Atlanta Dream announced a new, multi-year agreement with State Farm Arena that will make the award-winning downtown Atlanta venue the new home for all home games beginning in the 2027 season.
