WNBA Finals Games 3 and 4 Move to State Farm Arena to Boost Attendance

Games 3 and 4 of WNBA Finals Shift to State Farm Arena

The Atlanta Dream are set to host the Golden State Valkyries for Games 3 and 4 of the WNBA Finals at State Farm Arena, enabling greater attendance after adjustments to the WNBA schedule. The league confirmed the changes on October 13, 2026, following efforts to resolve conflicts at the arena and to provide a larger setting than the Dream's usual home at Gateway Center Arena.

WNBA Schedule Adjustments

Game 3 of the best-of-seven WNBA championship series has been moved up a day to Wednesday, October 21. Game 4 is now scheduled for Saturday, October 24 with tipoff shifted to 1 p.m. Eastern, starting two and a half hours earlier than originally planned. These changes were made to accommodate other scheduled events at State Farm Arena, including a concert and an Atlanta Hawks home opener.

State Farm Arena Chosen for Greater Capacity

The Dream's desire to play at State Farm Arena, home of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks, reflects their aim to capitalize on the growing interest in women's basketball. State Farm Arena provides seating for over 17,000 fans, a significant increase over Gateway Center Arena, which accommodates just 3,500. Valkyries games have already drawn strong attendance, with sellouts at San Francisco's 18,064-seat Chase Center throughout their two seasons in the league.

Reactions from League and Team Officials

Warriors and Valkyries owner Joe Lacob expressed support for moving the games, emphasizing the importance of having comparable crowds at both teams' venues. "I think it’s important for the league to play these games in the finals, a great championship between two very good teams, in front of the same kind of crowd in both places," Lacob said.

Dream forward Angel Reese shared excitement about the move while acknowledging her appreciation for Gateway Arena. "We’re going to miss our Gateway, but I’m really excited to be able to make that happen. Everyone that did make that happen I’m really thankful for it and I’m looking forward to all the fans coming out," Reese said.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert also thanked stakeholders for their cooperation, noting that the change expands seating capacity dramatically and allows more fans, especially across the Southeast, to experience the WNBA Finals in person.

Venue Conflicts Solved for Finals Series

The changes were required due to scheduling issues: State Farm Arena is set to host a concert by singer Sombr on October 22, and the Atlanta Hawks have their home opener on October 24. Meanwhile, the Valkyries had to move a Doja Cat concert at Chase Center from October 19 to October 25 to accommodate Game 2 of the WNBA Finals.

Andrew Saltzman, an executive with the Hawks and State Farm Arena, said, "Playing for a championship is special, and we want the Dream to feel the full support of the city during this amazing run."

Atlanta Dream’s Future at State Farm Arena

In addition to the WNBA playoffs, the Dream already moved several regular season games and three prior home playoff matches to State Farm Arena this year. The team will make the venue their permanent home for all games next season following a multiyear agreement signed earlier in October.

There remains uncertainty regarding where Game 6 would be played should the finals reach that stage, as the Hawks are scheduled for another home game on October 29.

Player Updates: Allisha Gray’s Status

Atlanta Dream coach Karl Smesko provided an update on guard Allisha Gray, who is recovering from a left hand injury that caused her to miss Game 3 of the semi-final win over the New York Liberty. While Gray participated in practice on a limited basis, Smesko said her availability for Game 1 remains uncertain, but "it’s trending in the right direction."

Source: kron4.com.