The Atlanta Dream are heading to their first WNBA Finals in 13 years, and Angel Reese and her teammates will have a much bigger stage waiting when the championship series reaches Atlanta.
The Dream and Atlanta Hawks announced Tuesday that Games 3 and 4 against the Golden State Valkyries will be played at State Farm Arena, resolving a scheduling conflict that threatened to push the franchise’s biggest games in more than a decade into a 3,500-seat venue.
The decision comes after a season of remarkable attendance growth for Atlanta, which has drawn significantly larger crowds since Reese’s arrival.
Atlanta Dream Announce Major WNBA Finals Venue Change
According to the Dream’s official announcement, Game 3 has been moved from Thursday, Oct. 22, to Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 8 p.m. ET.
Game 4 remains Saturday, Oct. 24, but will begin at 1 p.m. instead of 3:30 p.m.
The Hawks also agreed to push their regular-season home opener against the Houston Rockets to 8:30 p.m., allowing State Farm Arena to host both teams on the same day.
The adjustments were necessary because the arena had already booked a concert and NBA games on dates originally reserved for the Finals.
Without an agreement, Atlanta might have had to return to Gateway Center Arena in College Park, where the Dream played most of their regular-season home games.
That would have severely limited ticket availability for the franchise’s first Finals appearance since 2013.
“This is what the players and the fans deserve,” Dream majority owner Larry Gottesdiener said in the WNBA’s announcement.
Tickets for Games 3 and 4 go on sale Friday, Oct. 16, at 10 a.m. ET.
Angel Reese’s Arrival Coincides With Record Dream Attendance Growth
The larger venue reflects how dramatically Atlanta’s audience has expanded.
According to Sports Business Journal figures reported by Field Level Media, the Dream averaged 6,928 fans across their 22 regular-season home games in 2026, compared with 4,480 in 2025.
That represents a 54.7% increase, the largest percentage jump in the WNBA.
Reese’s arrival from Chicago helped raise the franchise’s profile, although Atlanta’s increased use of State Farm Arena also contributed to the attendance growth.
The Dream played six regular-season games at the larger venue this year, compared with just one last season.
They sold out five of those six games, according to Front Office Sports.
Crowds exceeded 17,000 for games against the Indiana Fever, Las Vegas Aces and Chicago Sky, demonstrating demand far beyond Gateway Center Arena’s capacity.
The Dream also drew more than 9,700 fans to each of their first two home playoff games at State Farm Arena.
Those numbers help explain why moving the Finals to Gateway would have been such a difficult outcome for the organization.
Atlanta has already announced a multiyear agreement to play all 25 of its 2027 regular-season home games at State Farm Arena.
The move will provide additional seating, more ticket options and greater opportunities for fans throughout the Southeast to attend games.
For Reese, the announcement means her first WNBA Finals will unfold on the same larger stage that has accommodated Atlanta’s growing fan base throughout the season.
The Dream will open the best-of-seven series Saturday, Oct. 17, at Chase Center in San Francisco.
Where a potential Game 6 would be played remains unresolved because of another Hawks home game scheduled for Oct. 29.
But Atlanta has secured State Farm Arena for its first two Finals home games, ensuring that thousands more fans can be part of the franchise’s championship pursuit.
Atlanta Dream Make Major Announcement Ahead of Angel Reese’s First WNBA Finals