WNBA27 min ago2 minute read

Where Will The Atlanta Dream Play Their WNBA Finals Home Games?

The Atlanta Dream are working to secure a home court for the upcoming WNBA Finals due to scheduling conflicts at State Farm Arena.

The EagleEyeOdds deskWritten from the match data, checked against our model before it goes out

Venue options up in the air

The Atlanta Dream are getting ready to face the Golden State Valkyries in the best of seven WNBA Finals, but they still do not know where their home games will take place. As of Sunday night, the venue for the team's home dates remains undetermined.

Atlanta is scheduled to host Games 3, 4, and 6 on Oct. 22, Oct. 24, and Oct. 29. The Dream have played at Gateway Center Arena at College Park since 2021, but that building holds only 3,500 fans. That small capacity is creating clear concerns for the championship round.

Dream president and chief operating officer Morgan Shaw Parker stated last week that the team was "finalizing details on their home venue and where we will be playing" for the series. However, no official updates were offered on Sunday. In contrast, Golden State will host its games at the Chase Center in San Francisco, which holds 18,064 fans.

Schedule conflicts cause headaches

The Dream moved five regular season games and three playoff games this year to State Farm Arena, which seats 17,044 people. That facility is set to become the franchise's full time home again starting in 2027, but it is currently booked on the Finals dates.

A Sombr concert is set for Oct. 22 at State Farm Arena. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hawks have regular season basketball games scheduled there on Oct. 24 and Oct. 29.

This is not the first time Atlanta has dealt with venue changes. The team originally played at the downtown arena from 2008 to 2016 before temporary refurbishments pushed them to Georgia Tech's McCamish Pavilion for two seasons. They returned in 2019 before moving to Gateway Center in 2021.

Historical precedent in the WNBA

Playing Finals games in non traditional buildings has happened before in league history. The Washington Mystics hosted 2019 Finals games at CareFirst Arena, which holds 4,200 seats.

Back in 2013, the Dream hosted a Finals game at the Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Georgia, which is now named Gas South Arena and seats around 13,000 people. WNBA Finals games have also been held at college venues like Eastern Michigan, UIC, USC, Minnesota, and George Mason over the years.

What it means for the next game

New York Liberty at Atlanta Dream (WNBA, Wed, 14 Oct): Atlanta Dream win 54%, New York Liberty win 46%; projected score Atlanta Dream 94, New York Liberty 92. Our safest pick: Liberty +9.5.

Atlanta Dream at Golden State Valkyries (WNBA, Sat, 17 Oct): Golden State Valkyries win 52%, Atlanta Dream win 48%; projected score Golden State Valkyries 78, Atlanta Dream 76. Our safest pick: Dream +9.5.