The 3,500-seat Gateway Center Arena wasn’t a fitting stage for the WNBA Finals between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries, so the Dream announced Tuesday that Games 3 and 4 would move to the larger State Farm Arena.
The Dream’s home venue was a question as the week began. State Farm Arena — the 17,000-seat home of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks — was already booked during the Dream’s championship series home games.
On Tuesday, officials from the Dream and WNBA confirmed a schedule change to accommodate the larger venue.
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Game 3 moved from Oct. 22 to Oct. 21 to prevent a conflict with a previously scheduled concert by indie rock artist Sombr.
Game 4 will still be played on Oct. 24, but the start time was moved up to 1 p.m.
The Hawks will still play their regular-season home opener against the Houston Rockets that day at 8 p.m.
The WNBA has not announced any effort to relocate Game 6, which would be played on Oct. 29, if necessary. The Hawks host the Cleveland Cavaliers at State Farm Arena that day.
“Relocating Games 2 and 4 of the WNBA Finals from Gateway Center Arena to State Farm Arena was a complex undertaking that required extraordinary collaboration to navigate numerous challenges in a short time period,” the Dream said in a statement, thanking the WNBA, the Hawks and the Valkyries. “Without their focus and flexibility, this would not have happened.”
WNBA franchises often move marquee matchups from smaller venues like Gateway Center Arena to larger sites, such as those occupied by NBA teams. The WNBA’s rise in popularity the past three years has made those moves essential.
“Ensuring that Games 3 and 4 of the Finals will be played at State Farm Arena is an important moment for the Dream’s players, fans, the organization and the city of Atlanta,” officials from the Dream said. “And [it] is a testament to the extraordinary momentum of the team, women’s basketball and the growing impact of women’s sports.”
The WNBA Finals begin at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time Saturday at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
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