A last-minute arena change for the WNBA Finals proved to be a wise decision by the league. The Atlanta Dream reportedly sold out the 17,000-seat State Farm Arena for Game 3 just a week after the league announced the game would be played there, according to Front Office Sports.
While the Dream had played previous playoff rounds at State Farm Arena, the WNBA Finals were initially scheduled to occur at the same time other events were happening at the stadium. Because of that, Game 3 and Game 4 of the WNBA Finals were originally scheduled to be played at Gateway Center, where the Dream usually play. Gateway Center sits just 3,500 fans, the lowest figure in the league.
To get around that, the WNBA altered its schedule for Game 3 and Game 4 of the Finals, moving Game 3 up one day and altering the time of Game 4 so that the Dream could play both games at State Farm Arena.
The league announced that change Oct. 13. Just over a week later, the Dream reportedly sold out the arena. It's a significant development for the team, as its previous playoff games at State Farm arena reportedly averaged fewer than 10,000 fans per game, according to FOS.
The league has not announced its plans for a possible Game 6. If the series is still going at that point, Atlanta would host another home game. Game 6 of the WNBA Finals is currently scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 29 at 8:00 p.m. ET. That's the same time the Atlanta Hawks — who play all their home games at State Farm Arena — are slated to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers that day.
If the series goes to a Game 6, the WNBA will likely look to move the date of the game or start it earlier in the day to allow both teams to play at State Farm.
That's a very real possibility considering how the series has played out thus far. After dropping Game 1 to the Golden State Valkyries, the Dream took Game 2 thanks to a dominant performance by Angel Reese.
The series is tied 1-1 heading into Game 3, which will take place Wednesday.