WNBA Finals moving to State Farm Arena for Dream home games 3 and 4

After several days of uncertainty and public outcry, the WNBA Finals Games 3 and 4 in Atlanta will be played at the larger State Farm Arena, instead of the Dream's usual 3,500-seat venue, the league announced on Tuesday.

The Dream played their first-round and semifinal games at the 17,000-seat State Farm, but Games 3, 4 and 6 of the Finals conflicted with previously scheduled events at the larger venue. The league changed the date of Game 3 from Thursday, Oct. 22 to Wednesday, Oct. 21, and moved up the time of Game 4, in coordination with the NBA's Atlanta Hawks.

The Dream and Hawks released the following joint statement:

"Relocating Games 3 and 4 of the WNBA Finals from Gateway Center Arena to State Farm Arena was a complex undertaking that required extraordinary collaboration to navigate numerous challenges in a short time period. The Dream is grateful to the Golden State Valkyries, the Hawks, the NBA, the WNBA, and both league's broadcast partners. Without their focus and flexibility, this would not have happened. "Ensuring that Games 3 and 4 of the Finals will be played at State Farm Arena is an important moment for the Dream's players, fans, the organization and the city of Atlanta and is a testament to the extraordinary momentum of the team, women's basketball and the growing impact of women's sports."

"Relocating Games 3 and 4 of the WNBA Finals from Gateway Center Arena to State Farm Arena was a complex undertaking that required extraordinary collaboration to navigate numerous challenges in a short time period. The Dream is grateful to the Golden State Valkyries, the Hawks, the NBA, the WNBA, and both league's broadcast partners. Without their focus and flexibility, this would not have happened.

"Ensuring that Games 3 and 4 of the Finals will be played at State Farm Arena is an important moment for the Dream's players, fans, the organization and the city of Atlanta and is a testament to the extraordinary momentum of the team, women's basketball and the growing impact of women's sports."

"We are grateful for the efforts made by numerous stakeholders, including the Dream, the Valkyries, the Hawks, State Farm Arena, and NBC Sports and USA Sports," WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. "The change of venue dramatically expands the seating capacity and ensures that the Dream will be able to provide an extraordinary atmosphere for the first WNBA Finals game to be played in the Atlanta market since 2013. We are pleased that thousands more fans across the Southeast region will have the opportunity to experience the ultimate WNBA action – the WNBA Finals – in person."

The Dream announced during the semifinals that they would play all 25 of their home games next season at State Farm , moving from Gateway Center Arena. But until Tuesday, it looked like their Finals games would need to be played at the smaller venue.

A Sombr concert is scheduled at State Farm Arena for Oct. 22, the original day of Game 3. The Hawks host Houston on Oct. 24, the day of Game 4, in their regular-season home opener, but the NBA team agreed to move the start time of their game a half-hour later. Unlike other WNBA teams, the Dream have no partnership or overlap with State Farm Arena or the Hawks. Their Finals opponent, the Golden State Valkyries, share ownership and an arena with the NBA's Golden State Warriors, and moved a Doja Cat concert to a contingency date to accommodate the Finals schedule.

The Hawks host Cleveland on Oct. 29, the day of Game 6, in the third game of the home schedule; the WNBA's statement did not address a possible Game 6 venue change.

"This is what the players and the fans deserve," said Larry Gottesdiener, Atlanta Dream majority owner in a statement. "We are grateful to all of the stakeholders who worked together to resolve the conflicts and make this happen."

"We are thrilled that we will be able to accommodate the Dream as they host Games 3 and 4 of the WNBA Finals at State Farm Arena. Playing for a championship is special, and we want the Dream to feel the full support of the city during this amazing run," said Andrew Saltzman, president of business enterprise and chief commercial officer of the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena.

Due to the Game 3 date change, there will be only one off day (Tuesday, Oct. 20) between Games 2 and 3 as teams travel from San Francisco to Atlanta.