Photo: Ishika Samant / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
The Atlanta Dream have secured State Farm Arena as the venue for their home games during the WNBA Finals against the Golden State Valkyries. The Dream will host Games Three and Four on Thursday (October 22) at 8 p.m. and Saturday (October 24) at 1 p.m., according to The Guardian. This marks the Dream's first appearance in the WNBA Finals since 2013.
State Farm Arena, which seats over 17,000 fans, is the home of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. The Dream's regular venue, Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia, holds only 3,500 spectators. The team needed a larger venue to accommodate the expected crowd, as reported by NBC Sports.
The Dream had initially faced scheduling conflicts at State Farm Arena due to a concert by singer Sombr on October 22 and Hawks' games on October 24 and 29. However, they have now confirmed the venue for the finals games, according to Yahoo Sports.
The Dream have averaged nearly 7,000 fans per game this season, driven by hosting several games at State Farm Arena. They will move all their home games to this venue starting next season under a multi-year agreement.
The WNBA Finals series begins Saturday (October 17) with the Dream playing away at Golden State. The Valkyries will host Games One and Two, and if necessary, Games Five and Seven at the Chase Center in San Francisco.