The WNBA announced Tuesday that Finals Games 3 and 4 in Atlanta will shift from Gateway Center Arena to State Farm Arena, a move that required rearranging two schedules and pushing back a concert. The league also adjusted the dates and tip times for both games to make the larger venue work for everyone involved.
State Farm Arena, home of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, seats more than 17,000 fans. Gateway Center Arena in College Park, where the Atlanta Dream normally play, holds just 3,500. The switch means thousands more fans can attend as the Dream face the Golden State Valkyries in the best-of-seven WNBA Finals, with Golden State having hosted the first two games.
The Main Development
Game 3 moves up one day, from Thursday, Oct. 22 to Wednesday, Oct. 21. Game 4 shifts earlier in the day on Saturday, Oct. 24, with tipoff moved up two and a half hours from 3:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern.
Both changes were needed to clear State Farm Arena for the Dream. A Sombr concert had been booked at the arena for Oct. 22, the original Game 3 date, forcing the league to move the game up a day instead. The Hawks, meanwhile, were set to host Houston in their regular-season home opener on Oct. 24, the same day as Game 4. The Hawks agreed to push their own tipoff back a half-hour, to 8:30 p.m., so the earlier WNBA game could finish first.
What It Means
Hawks CEO Steve Koonin said the franchise worked to accommodate the Finals at the direction of ownership. “The ownership of the Atlanta Hawks, Tony Ressler, wanted us to do everything in our power to make it happen because it’s great for basketball in Atlanta. It’s great for the Dream. It’s great for State Farm Arena,” Koonin said.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert framed the move as a significant capacity upgrade for a market that has not hosted a Finals game since 2013. “The change of venue dramatically expands the seating capacity and ensures that the Dream will be able to provide an extraordinary atmosphere for the first WNBA Finals game to be played in the Atlanta market since 2013,” Engelbert said. “We are pleased that thousands more fans across the Southeast region will have the opportunity to experience the ultimate WNBA action, the WNBA Finals, in person.”
Dream majority owner Larry Gottesdiener credited the parties who helped untangle the scheduling conflicts. “This is what the players and the fans deserve,” Gottesdiener said. “We are grateful to all of the stakeholders who worked together to resolve the conflicts and make this happen.”
Context And Background
The venue shuffle is not new territory for the Dream. The team had been stuck planning Finals home games at the 3,500-seat Gateway Center Arena before Tuesday’s announcement, even though Atlanta moved six regular-season games and three playoff home games to State Farm Arena during the 2026 season. The Dream also announced during the semifinals that all 25 home games next season will be played at State Farm Arena, ending the Gateway Center Arena arrangement entirely.
Golden State has dealt with its own scheduling collision this postseason. The Valkyries had to move a Doja Cat concert from Oct. 19 to Oct. 25 at Chase Center in San Francisco to make room for Game 2 of the Finals, according to FOX Sports.
Another potential conflict looms if the series extends further. The Hawks are scheduled to play the Cleveland Cavaliers on Oct. 29, which could overlap with a Game 6 at State Farm Arena should the series go the distance, according to CBS Sports.
What’s Next
Game 3 of the Finals is now set for Wednesday, Oct. 21, at State Farm Arena, followed by Game 4 on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 1 p.m. Eastern. The Dream reached the Finals after sweeping the New York Liberty in the semifinals, detailed in Total Apex Sports’ Game 3 recap.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
