Angel Reese is set to make her inaugural appearance in the WNBA Finals as the Atlanta Dream prepares to face the Golden State Valkyries in a best-of-seven series, commencing this Saturday in California. However, fans eager to witness Reese, Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray, and their teammates play at home might encounter challenges securing tickets.
The Atlanta team is currently slated to host its WNBA Finals home contests at the Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia. This choice is reportedly due to multiple scheduling conflicts at the larger State Farm Arena in Atlanta, as indicated by a recent report on Sunday. The Gateway Center Arena offers a seating capacity of 3,500 for basketball events.
As of now, the Dream has not publicly confirmed whether a more spacious venue has been secured for these games, according to a sports news outlet. There is still time for a relocation, with Game 3 scheduled for October 22 and Game 4 for October 24. Morgan Shaw Parker, the Dream’s president and chief operating officer, commented last week that the organization was “finalizing details on their home venue and where we will be playing.”
Scheduling Challenges and Potential Alternatives
The State Farm Arena's current event calendar shows a SOMBR performance slated for 7 p.m. ET on October 22. Additionally, the Atlanta Hawks are scheduled to play the Houston Rockets at 8 p.m. ET on October 24.
The McCamish Pavilion, home to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets basketball program, appears to be available on those specific dates and has a capacity of 8,600. The Dream previously utilized this facility between 2016 and 2018 during renovations at State Farm Arena. Reports suggest that while McCamish Pavilion and Gas South Arena were considered, efforts to move the games there faced “roadblocks.”
Atlanta's Dominant Season
The Dream has demonstrated strong performance throughout the playoffs, sweeping both the Washington Mystics in the opening round and the New York Liberty in the semifinals.
Atlanta concluded the regular season with an impressive 30-14 record. A notable individual achievement was Angel Reese earning the Defensive Player of the Year award in her debut season with the Dream.
