Atlanta Dream will host at least two WNBA Finals games. But exactly where is yet TBD - BERITAJA
The Atlanta Dream made it to the WNBA Finals, which is evidently a bully thing.
In fact, it’s truthful bully that galore fans will surely want to travel retired and support the squad erstwhile it hosts Games 3 and 4, positive Game 6 if needed, against the Golden State Valkyries.
And that could beryllium an issue. Gateway Center Arena successful College Park, Ga., wherever the squad has played about of its location games since 2021, seats only 3,500 group for hoops games.
The Dream played six regular-season games and each 3 location playoff games this play astatine the Atlanta Hawks’ State Farm Arena, which holds about 17,000 and will beryllium the Dream’s charismatic location venue starting adjacent season. But that installation is booked for each 3 dates the squad would request it, pinch a Sombr performance slated for Oct. 22 and Hawks regular-season games connected Oct. 24 and 29.
So, what’s a franchise playing successful its first WNBA Finals since 2013 to do?
It’s not a rhetorical question. The squad hasn’t announced wherever their location games successful the bid will beryllium played, and tickets for the
games successful Atlanta person yet to spell connected sale.
Last week, Dream president Morgan Shaw Parker said they were “finalizing details” connected wherever the team’s location games will beryllium played during the Finals. Efforts to move the games to larger area venues, specified arsenic Gas South Arena (around 13,000 seats) and Georgia Tech’s McCamish Pavilion (8,600 seats), person deed snags, according to USA Today.
The Dream did not instantly respond Monday to questions from The Times. The WNBA referred questions backmost to the Dream.
The Valkyries play their location games astatine Chase Center successful San Francisco, which seats about 18,000 people. A Doja Cat performance primitively scheduled for Oct. 19 was rescheduled to Oct. 25 to debar conflict pinch Game 2 of the WNBA Finals.
If the Dream can’t relocate the games, this wouldn’t beryllium the first clip WNBA Finals were held successful a mini venue: In 2019, the Washington Mystics hosted 3 games astatine their location venue (known now arsenic CareFirst Arena), which seats about 4,200 people.
Led by Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray, erstwhile UCLA prima Jordin Canada and 2026 protect subordinate of the twelvemonth Angel Reese, fourth-seeded Atlanta swept done the first 2 rounds of the playoffs, dismissing No. 5 Washington and No. 8 New York.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
