WNBA shifts finals schedule to bring Dream home games to State Farm Arena

The Atlanta Dream will stage Games 3 and 4 of the WNBA Finals against the Golden State Valkyries at State Farm Arena after the league revised its schedule on Tuesday. According to the WNBA's announcement, Game 3 moves forward one day to Wednesday, October 21, while Game 4 remains on Saturday, October 24, with an earlier start.

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Game 3 will begin at 8 p.m. Eastern and air on USA Network and CNBC, with streaming on Peacock. Game 4 shifts from 3:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern and remains on NBC and Peacock. The best-of-seven series opens at San Francisco's Chase Center on October 17, followed by Game 2 there on October 19. Golden State is the second seed and Atlanta the fourth.

The venue switch also requires an adjustment to the Hawks' schedule. Their October 24 home opener against the Houston Rockets will start at 8:30 p.m. Eastern instead of 8 p.m. In a joint statement published by State Farm Arena, the Dream and Hawks said relocating the finals games from Gateway Center Arena required coordination among the teams, both leagues and their broadcast partners.

The arrangement comes a week after the Dream announced a multiyear agreement to make State Farm Arena their full-time home beginning in 2027. In that October 6 announcement, the club said all 25 of its regular-season home games next year would take place downtown. The team attributed the move to increased ticket demand and growth in its fan base.

Atlanta said it had sold out every Gateway Center Arena game over the previous three seasons and had also recorded eight sellouts at State Farm Arena during that period, including games attended by more than 17,000 fans. The larger venue gives the team additional seating and a wider range of ticket options. The Guardian reported that the venue for a potential Game 6 remained unresolved because the Hawks also play at home on October 29.

General ticket sales for Games 3 and 4 begin Friday, October 16, at 10 a.m. Eastern. The joint team statement said fans could seek earlier access through the Dream's Priority List or general presale registration.