Conceptual editorial illustration. It does not depict a real arena.
The Atlanta Dream are back in the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2013, and the venue question that hung over their home games was answered the same day it was raised. Games 3 and 4 moved to State Farm Arena, and Atlanta made the bigger stage count.
The Dream beat the Golden State Valkyries 97-71 on Wednesday night at State Farm Arena to take a 2-1 series lead. Angel Reese finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds in a game Atlanta controlled, and the city’s first Finals run in 13 years now has a home crowd behind it.
This report was first published on October 13 with the venue unresolved. The schedule and venue details below have been updated.
A historic Finals return for Atlanta
The Dream advanced by sweeping the New York Liberty in the semifinals, closing out the series with a 101-98 overtime win at State Farm Arena. They then split the first two games of the Finals in San Francisco, and returned home level at one game apiece.
The return puts Atlanta back on the league’s biggest stage for the first time since 2013. The series gives local fans a chance to follow a championship run at home, and the move to State Farm Arena means far more of them can do it in person.
For the official bracket and game details, see the WNBA’s 2026 playoff schedule.
2026 WNBA Finals schedule
All times are Eastern.
| Game | Date and time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Saturday, October 17, 3:30 p.m. | Golden State |
| Game 2 | Monday, October 19, 8 p.m. | Golden State |
| Game 3 | Wednesday, October 21, 8 p.m. | State Farm Arena, Atlanta |
| Game 4 | Saturday, October 24, 1 p.m. | State Farm Arena, Atlanta |
| Game 5, if necessary | Monday, October 26, 8 p.m. | Golden State |
| Game 6, if necessary | Thursday, October 29, 8 p.m. | Atlanta |
| Game 7, if necessary | Saturday, October 31, 8 p.m. | Golden State |
Two dates shifted with the venue change. Game 3 moved up from Thursday, October 22 to Wednesday, October 21 to avoid a concert on the arena calendar. Game 4 stays on Saturday, October 24, but now tips at 1 p.m. rather than 3:30 p.m., clearing the building for the Atlanta Hawks home opener that night.
The WNBA schedule carries the full series.
How the venue question was settled
The original schedule put Game 3 on October 22, when a concert was already booked at State Farm Arena, and Game 4 on October 24 alongside an Atlanta Hawks home game. A potential Game 6 fell on October 29, also a Hawks home date. That is why the building looked unavailable when the Finals matchup was set.
On October 13, the WNBA announced that Games 3 and 4 would be played at State Farm Arena after all, with the schedule adjusted to accommodate the city’s full calendar of concerts and basketball. The league framed the move as a way to meet fan demand for the Finals, and the Dream and Hawks issued a joint statement on the arrangement.
Before that announcement, the Dream had explored larger alternatives including Gas South Arena and McCamish Pavilion, and neither option came together. Reporting at the time pointed to Gateway Center Arena as the expected site, which is how quickly the picture changed.
What the move changed
Gateway Center Arena in College Park is the Dream’s current primary home, and it has been their home court since 2021. It seats about 3,500 people for basketball, which is why it loomed as the likely fallback.
Moving to State Farm Arena instead put the Finals in a building that holds several times that crowd. For a franchise playing its first Finals in 13 years, the difference between a packed 3,500-seat arena and a full NBA building is the difference between a great local night and a citywide event.
Wednesday’s crowd got a team that looked comfortable on the bigger stage. Atlanta led by double digits and kept the Valkyries at arm’s length through the second half, with Reese controlling the paint on both ends.
State Farm Arena move begins in 2027
The venue question for this Finals is separate from the Dream’s longer-term home-court plans. On October 6, the team announced a multi-year agreement to play all home games at State Farm Arena starting with the 2027 season.
That change establishes State Farm Arena as the Dream’s regular home going forward, and it makes this Finals run a preview of what the next several seasons will look like.
The calendar complications are why the 2026 arrangement needed a joint statement and two schedule adjustments rather than a straightforward venue swap. Going forward, the Dream and Hawks share the building as a permanent situation, not a one-off.
What fans should know before Game 4
Game 4 is Saturday, October 24 at 1 p.m. at State Farm Arena. It is the front half of a basketball doubleheader, with the Hawks hosting the Houston Rockets in their home opener that evening at 8:30 p.m.
Tickets for the Finals game are sold through the Dream at atlantadream.com, and the arena’s official ticketing partner is Ticketmaster. Fans can also check the team’s Facebook page for updates.
With the series at 2-1, a win Saturday would put Atlanta one game from a championship, with Game 5 in San Francisco on Monday.
A first title is at stake
The Dream have never won a WNBA championship. The Valkyries are also seeking the first title in franchise history, so the series guarantees a first-time champion.
Atlanta’s return to the Finals gives the city a milestone to follow, and it now comes with the crowd and the building the moment deserved. The series is 2-1, the next game is at home on Saturday afternoon, and a first title in franchise history is within reach. For more Atlanta sports news, visit the Atlanta Wave TV newsroom.
Information is current as of October 22, 2026. This report is based on publicly available information. Atlanta Wave TV is not credentialed and is not attending the events.
