The Atlanta Dream needed more seats for their home games in the 2026 WNBA Finals, but finding room for a rapidly growing fanbase meant leaving behind the arena that had become part of their identity. With Gateway Arena accommodating 3,500 fans compared to State Farm Arena’s 17,000, the move gives Atlanta the chance to bring more supporters to their most important series of the season. However, for Angel Reese, the change comes with a more personal tradeoff.
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“It’s a bittersweet moment, because I do love Gateway so much, and I love the intimacy of being here and all the fans coming out and supporting us,” Reese told WSB-TV’s Alison Mastrangelo in an interview, with a clip of her answer later posted to X.
“Even if we couldn’t go to State Farm, I was gonna be grateful to just be able to be here and have everybody here. We probably had a big TV outside, and everybody would be outside; it would be a whole cookout, have a good time, but I am looking forward to everybody showing up and supporting us at State Farm because every game has been a great turnout. Celebrities on the side, everybody coming to support. You don’t know who you’re gonna see in Atlanta, so everybody always has fun.”
Her comments come just hours after it was revealed that the Dream would be able to play Games 3 and 4 of the WNBA Finals at State Farm Arena following a period of uncertainty. The team was originally supposed to play Games 3, 4, and 6, the ones they would host, on Oct. 22, 24, and 29. Those dates were already occupied at State Farm Arena, with a Sombr concert on Oct. 22, and the other two being days when the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks were set for regular-season matchups against the Houston Rockets and the Cleveland Cavaliers, respectively.
According to a report from USA Today, Dream president Morgan Shaw Parker had explained that the team was “finalizing details” on where the team’s home games were to be played. They tried to move the games to Gas South Arena (around 13,000 seats) and Georgia Tech’s McCamish Pavilion (8,600 seats), but both venues fell through.
However, the stakeholders ultimately worked out the logistics better.
To avoid a conflict with the Sombr concert, the date for Game 3 was moved to October 21, the previous day. Then, the time of their Game 4 matchup was moved from 3:30 p.m. ET to 1:00 p.m. ET, while the Hawks delayed their 2026-27 home opener by half an hour to 8:30 pm ET. The two teams, which are owned by different ownership groups, released a joint statement on the matter.
“Relocating Games 3 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 statement read (via CBS). “The Dream is grateful to the Golden State Valkyries, the Hawks, the NBA, the WNBA, and both league’s broadcast partners. Without their focus and flexibility, this would not have happened.”
However, there was no mention of a potential Game 6, which will also see the Dream playing at home, clashing with another Hawks game.
This comes after the Dream has already proven that it can draw crowds at the bigger venue. The team has seen 400% growth in season ticket holders over the last five seasons and has had to find ways to accommodate their fans. This led them to host six regular-season games at State Farm Arena this year, and they also hosted all three of their playoff home games this season at the venue.
The Dream also announced that State Farm Arena will be their permanent home for regular-season games starting in 2027. It marks a significant shift for the team, which has played at Gateway Arena since 2021.
With the arena situation now behind them, the team can now direct its full focus to the seven-game WNBA Finals, its first finals appearance since 2013. With Reese leading the team on the court, they have a chance to deliver for the fans the first championship in team history.