Dream ownership group voices frustration in open letter over WNBA Finals venue concerns
The Atlanta Dream’s ownership group said in an open letter that its concerns about WNBA Finals venues and scheduling were not given enough attention. Game 6 against the Golden State Valkyries will be played at State Farm Arena on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. ET, a compromise the Dream said was not what it had sought.
The owners said they raised possible clashes with NBA games two months before the playoffs. Atlanta’s three home Finals games have all required schedule changes, affecting the Hawks as well as the WNBA teams. State Farm Arena holds about 17,000 people, compared with 3,500 at the Dream’s usual Gateway Center Arena; Golden State leads the best-of-seven series 3-2, so Game 6 could decide the title.
In short
- The Dream say their venue and scheduling concerns were not given enough attention.
- Game 6 tips off at 12:30 p.m. ET on Thursday in Atlanta.
- Golden State leads 3-2, making the game a potential title decider.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The Dream’s owners can reasonably argue that a Finals game deserves a venue and schedule that accommodate its audience and give the league’s championship proper prominence. They say they raised possible NBA scheduling clashes well in advance, yet all three Atlanta home games needed changes; with a title potentially at stake, the compromise may fall short of what players, fans and the team need.
The case against
The league and venue operators can reasonably argue that a major arena’s calendar must balance commitments to both the WNBA and NBA, and that moving a Finals game to State Farm Arena is itself a substantial step up in capacity from the Dream’s usual home. Scheduling may involve constraints that cannot be resolved simply by raising concerns early, so a compromise can reflect competing demands rather than a lack of regard for the WNBA.
Explained simply
The WNBA is the top professional women’s basketball league in the United States. Its championship is decided in a best-of-seven Finals, with the first team to win four games taking the title. The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries are the two teams in this year’s Finals.
The Dream usually play at Gateway Center Arena, a smaller venue than State Farm Arena, which they share with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks. When both leagues need the same arena, games may have to be moved or rescheduled. The venue and timing matter to teams, players and fans, particularly during a Finals series when each game can affect who wins the championship.