WNBA moves Finals Games 3 and 4 to State Farm Arena, giving Atlanta Dream thousands more seats
The WNBA has moved Games 3 and 4 of the Finals to Atlanta’s State Farm Arena, which can hold about 17,000 people, to give more fans the chance to attend. The schedule changes accommodate the venue and other events, and mark the first Finals game in the Atlanta market since 2013.
Game 3 against the Golden State Valkyries is now set for Wednesday, 21 October, at 8 p.m. ET, a day earlier than planned; Game 4 remains on Saturday, 24 October, but starts at 1 p.m. rather than 3.30 p.m. The Atlanta Hawks have shifted their home opener by 30 minutes, while a concert on 22 October had created a scheduling clash. Atlanta previously reported 9,745 fans for a playoff game at State Farm Arena and sold out five of six regular-season games there, though some drew high-profile themed events or the Indiana Fever; Finals tickets go on general sale on 16 October.
- Finals Games 3 and 4 will be played at Atlanta’s larger arena.
- Game 3 moves a day earlier; Game 4 starts earlier.
- Ticket demand will be tested when sales open on 16 October.
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The WNBA is the top professional women’s basketball league in the United States. Its Finals decide the season’s champion, and teams play a series of games that can extend beyond the first three if neither side has won enough.
The Atlanta Dream are one of the league’s teams, while the Golden State Valkyries represent the San Francisco Bay Area. State Farm Arena is also home to the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and hosts concerts, so games there must fit around other events.
The move brings the Finals back to the Atlanta area for the first time since 2013. The larger arena gives more people a chance to attend than the Dream’s usual venue, while the schedule changes reflect the arena’s other commitments.