It was only natural for the Atlanta Dream fans to have a desire to witness their team play in the WNBA Finals. After all, they have got this chance after a gap of 13 years. But as pointed out by WNBA journalist Myles Ehrlich, the Dream fanbase might be in for some disappointment, with the team not having access to the 17,000-capacity State Farm Arena for crucial home games.
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By the looks of it, Atlanta will host the Golden State Valkyries for Games 3 and 4 of the WNBA Finals in their 3500-capacity Gateway Center Arena.
“This is a bummer. The Dream (and their fans) deserve better,” wrote Myles Ehrlich on X, while replying to a post by WNBA reporter Zach Klein, who reported that Atlanta’s efforts to secure the State Farm Arena, which has a much larger capacity, have not been successful until now.
The State Farm Arena can host more than 17,000 people. Atlanta Dream have already played six regular-season and three postseason games there this season. But the Atlanta Hawks, who use State Farm Arena as their home stadium, will play their first home game of the season on Oct. 24 against the Houston Rockets, the same day as Game 4 of the WNBA Finals. The other WNBA game, on Oct. 29, which is Game 6 (if it is held), has the Hawks playing the Cavaliers.
Moreover, the first Finals home game of the Dream (Game 3) is clashing with a Sombr concert on Oct. 22.
This news comes in the wake of the Atlanta Dream already securing the State Farm Arena as their home court for next season in a multi-year contract. With the WNBA set to have 50 regular-season games starting next season, the Dream will play all 25 home games at State Farm Arena.
“The move to State Farm Arena reflects the unprecedented growth of the franchise, increasing ticket demand and overall excitement for the entire Dream fan experience,” a press release by the Dream stated.
Atlanta Dream has witnessed a 400% increase in season ticket sales in the last five years. Chief Operating Officer Morgan Shaw Parker reflected on what this new stadium deal means for the franchise.
“This is an exciting next chapter for the Atlanta Dream, and a direct reflection of the exciting style of play that is Dream basketball, the passion of our fans, and the incredible growth of this franchise,” Parker said. “Our players and our fans have transformed Gateway Center Arena into the most exciting experience in the WNBA.”
Financials aside, Atlanta players also realize that having a sizable presence of their supporters behind them can have an impact on any game’s result.
“We didn’t have playoff games [at State Farm Arena] last year … but we had a couple of games there, and they felt like playoff games,” Rhyne Howard said, per USA Today. “So I think for us to have had those during the season and have the outcome that we had, I think it helps us get ready for this environment.”
Incidentally, the Dream’s Finals opponent, the Golden State Valkyries, also faced a similar logistical challenge. The Valkyries will play Game 1 of the Finals on Oct. 17 and Game 2 on Oct. 19. Game 2 was clashing with a Doja Cat concert, which has now been moved to October 25 after the Valkyries clinched the Finals spot.
Valkyries president Jess Smith made it clear that the “Balhalla” will be there behind their team in this postseason.
“We will not play a game outside of Chase Center this postseason,” Smith said on SiriusXM NBA Radio. “Our ownership group [has] been committed to that … Things get booked in arenas with contingency dates. That’s standard operating procedure. It’s happened for decades. It’s not a headline. Yes, it’s a concert, but we understand the prioritization.”
Atlanta fans will only hope that they are able to witness many more postseason and Finals games in the years to come. And for now, they will take a title win, even if it means that fewer fans are able to attend the Finals games.