“They can adjust” – Linda Cohn Raises Eyebrows Over Atlanta Dream’s Comfort-First Approach To Finals Venue Decision

The Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries are set to battle for the 2026 WNBA title. Angel Reese is debuting in the finals, and fans have high anticipation for the event. However, the team decided to hold the series in a smaller venue, which is their usual home arena, so the team feels comfortable in the finals.

The home-court advantage belongs to the higher seed, so the Valkyries will host most of the seven-game series.

Meanwhile, the Dream has reportedly decided to play at the Gateway Center Arena in College Park, which holds just 3,500 fans, although management has other options, like Georgia Tech basketball's home stadium, McCamish Pavilion; Gas South Arena in Duluth; and others. State Farm Arena, where the team occasionally plays, has a capacity of 17 thousand fans, but is unavailable.

Sports analyst Linda Cohn called out the team's reluctance to play at a bigger arena on X on Monday:

"These are professional basketball players. They can adjust. Wouldn't they want to play in a venue larger than a high school gym so their fans can actually attend and the league can grow?"

The Dream's usage of State Farm Arena was under scrutiny for accommodating only a smaller audience for WNBA postseason games (not selling the upper deck seats).

The Dream and the Valkyries have a weeklong break before the finals, which will be a boon for someone like Allisha Gray, who has been out of the lineup due to a finger injury.

The Dream won't play at State Farm Arena as it's pre-booked

State Farm Arena, which is the home arena of the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA, was also one of the team's options for the WNBA Finals. However, the venue is reportedly booked for a Shane Michael Boose, aka Sombr, concert on Oct. 22 and for the Hawks' regular-season games on Oct. 24 and 29.

Atlanta is in the finals for the first time since 2013 and has a real chance at the title, considering Gray is available for the final series. DeWanna Bonner has contributed well to the frontcourt, alongside Reese and Rhyne Howard, who will be crucial against the Valkyries.

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