When the Atlanta Dream reached the WNBA Finals, securing a larger venue for their home games became an immediate challenge. Their regular home, the 3,500-seat Gateway Center Arena, remained an option, but playing at State Farm Arena required adjustments to an already crowded schedule.
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After hosting sellout crowds for Games 3 and 4, the Dream still needed an agreement to return for Game 6. Another round of negotiations secured the arena, with the Hawks agreeing to push back their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“After a weekend of nonstop frantic discussions and negotiation, Game 6 of the WNBA Finals will be played Thursday at 12:30 pm at 17,000-seat State Farm Arena in Atlanta, sources told ESPN,” Shelburne wrote on X. “The Atlanta Hawks-Cleveland Cavaliers game that night will move back to 8 pm to accommodate the doubleheader, just as the Hawks did for Game 4. This allows a potential Game 7 to remain scheduled for Halloween at Chase Center in San Francisco.”
It was not the first scheduling adjustment needed to accommodate the Finals. On October 13, the WNBA announced that State Farm Arena would host Games 3 and 4. Game 3 moved forward a day to Wednesday, October 21, while Game 4 was scheduled for Saturday, October 24. The Hawks accommodated the Saturday doubleheader by pushing their home-opener tipoff back 30 minutes.
However, those arrangements did not resolve the venue question for Game 6. Golden State’s 67–62 victory on October 24 tied the best-of-seven series at 2–2, guaranteeing another game in Atlanta. ESPN reported the following day that both the venue and tipoff time remained unsettled, with the Hawks scheduled to host the Cavaliers at State Farm Arena that Thursday evening.
That left the Dream seeking another agreement to keep the Finals at the larger arena rather than return to Gateway Center. The eventual afternoon tipoff allowed Atlanta to retain State Farm Arena without moving the NBA game to another date, while preserving the October 31 schedule for a potential Game 7 in San Francisco.
The Atlanta Dream are playing in the Finals after 13 years. Despite being strong playoff contenders, they have not been able to move beyond the first round since 2018. With their home team in the Finals, all the parties involved have made adjustments in this series.
“All three Finals games in Atlanta have required hurried adjustments to the schedule at State Farm Arena. It took collective efforts from the WNBA, NBA, the Hawks, State Farm Arena, Dream, Valkyries and broadcast partners to figure out the best course of action again,” Shelburne added in her tweet.
Moving the Hawks–Cavaliers game to another date or shifting it to Cleveland were among the options discussed, but both presented complications. Both teams already had games the previous night. Switching the venue to Cleveland would have required Atlanta to travel for the second leg of a back-to-back, while the Cavaliers would have needed to organize an additional home game at short notice.
Friday offered no simple alternative either. That date was reserved for NBA Cup games, and Hawks–Cavaliers was not a Cup matchup. Those restrictions narrowed the options, helping explain why the eventual agreement kept both games in Atlanta on Thursday, with the Finals in the afternoon and the NBA game that evening.
During the regular season, Atlanta primarily hosted its home games at the 3,500-seat Gateway Center Arena. The Dream have sold out every home game there over the past three seasons and have also drawn multiple sellouts at State Farm Arena. Hosting Game 6 at Gateway Center would sharply limit attendance and potential ticket revenue.
Beyond this Finals series, the Dream have already secured a longer-term home at the larger venue. On October 6, the team announced a multiyear agreement to play all home games at State Farm Arena beginning in 2027. Becoming a full-time tenant is expected to make reserving future playoff dates more straightforward.
According to Shelburne, one of the options being entertained for Game 6 was to shift the schedule to an open date at the arena and, in consequence, move Game 7 to an open date at Chase Center, which was November 3
Now, the State Farm Arena will host Game 6 of the Finals at 12:30 p.m. (ET). The Hawks will start their game against the Cavs at 8 p.m., which was moved back an hour. Ticket sales for Game 6 will go live on Monday afternoon. Fans can watch the game on USA Network or stream it on Peacock.