The Atlanta Dream are trying to move WNBA Finals games in Atlanta to a larger venue, but efforts to do so have so far been unsuccessful, people with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY sports. The people requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the decision publicly.
Barring a change, Game 3 on Oct. 22, Game 4 on Oct. 24 and Game 6 on Oct. 29 will be played at the Dream's home venue, Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia. It has a capacity of 3,500 seats for basketball games.
After making the WNBA Finals, the Dream hoped to play at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, which seats more than 17,000 people, the people with knowledge of the situation said. This year, the team hosted six regular-season contests and three
postseason games at State Farm.
However, talks to have Finals games moved there have been unsuccessful. State Farm is currently booked during Games 3, 4 and 6 for a concert and two Atlanta Hawks regular-season games, including the home opener. The Dream have attempted to explore other venue options in the Atlanta area, but those efforts also hit a roadblock, the people with knowledge of the situation said.
On Tuesday, Oct. 6, the Dream announced they will call State Farm Arena home next year. The move comes as part of a multi-year agreement and amid record growth for the league. Next season, the WNBA will move to 50 games, and State Farm will host the Dream's 25 home contests.
"We didn't have playoff games (at State Farm Arena) last year ... but we had a couple of games there, and they felt like playoff games. So I think for us to have had those during the season and have the outcome that we had, I think it helps us get ready for this environment," Dream guard Rhyne Howard said.
The Golden State Valkyries, who are hosting Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 of the Finals, will play at the Chase Center in San Francisco. Chase Center is the team's home throughout the WNBA regular season and has hosted multiple playoff games.
"We will not play a game outside of Chase Center this postseason," Valkyries team president Jess Smith said. "Our ownership group (has) been committed to that ... Things get booked in arenas with contingency dates. That's standard operating procedure. It's happened for decades. It's not a headline ... We understand the prioritization."
Atlanta advanced to the 2026 WNBA Finals after finishing the regular season as the No. 4 seed andsweeping the Washington Mystics in the first round, and the New York Liberty in the semifinals. The Dream return to the Finals stage for the first time since the 2013 season. Atlanta is 0-9 all-time in Finals games.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Atlanta Dream unable to relocate Finals games from 3,500-seat venue
