Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream are officially getting a massive venue upgrade for their WNBA Finals home games, shifting Games 3 and 4 to the 17,608-seat State Farm Arena. This move comes after days of real controversy about where the team would even play, especially for their first Finals appearance in 13 years. It’s a huge win for fans who want to see history made.
From Controversy to a Packed House
For a bit there, it felt like a total fumble, right? The Dream, making their first WNBA Finals appearance in over a decade, were embroiled in this whole controversy about their home venue. The initial word was that Games 3 and 4 of the Finals would be stuck in the tiny 3,500-seat Gateway Center Arena. Can you imagine the frustration for fans in a city that’s waited 13 years for this moment? That just wasn’t gonna cut it.
But then, word started leaking out Tuesday: multiple reports confirmed the move. The Dream’s two home Finals games are now officially set for State Farm Arena. This isn’t just any arena, it’s a 17,608-seat beast, the same place where the Dream have played all their home games this postseason. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert even dropped a statement, saying the league is “grateful for the efforts made by numerous stakeholders” and that the “change of venue dramatically expands the seating capacity” to provide an “extraordinary atmosphere” for Atlanta’s first Finals game since 2013. It’s awesome to see everyone come together and get this right for the fans.
A Reshuffled Schedule for History
Of course, moving games in the middle of a championship series isn’t exactly a walk in the park. This took some serious coordination. Front Office Sports initially hinted the WNBA was looking into shifting the schedule, and then Zach Klein of WSB-TV in Atlanta and Meghan L. Hall of USA TODAY Sports broke the news that literally all sides agreed: the Dream, the Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA, the NBA, the Atlanta Hawks, and all the broadcasting partners. Everyone signed off on moving game times to make this happen.
So, what’s the new schedule look like? Game 3 of the Finals is now on Wednesday, October 21st, which got moved up from the original date of Thursday the 22nd. It’s still keeping that 8 p.m. ET tip-off time, which is clutch. Game 4 got shifted too, moving from its original 3:30 p.m. ET start on Saturday, October 24th, all the way up to 1 p.m. ET. Why the big shuffle for Saturday? Turns out, that original Game 4 time was clashing with the Atlanta Hawks’ home opener against the Houston Rockets. But don’t worry, that Hawks game just got bumped to 8:30 p.m. ET, so everyone gets their spotlight.
It’s Game 3 on Wednesday, October 21st, and Game 4 on Saturday, October 24th, with Angel Reese and the Dream fighting for the title. If things go wild and the series needs it, Game 6 is slated to tip off from Gateway Center Arena, which would be the Dream’s last game at that smaller venue. You know it’s gonna be electric!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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