After concerns about where they would play their home games in the WNBA Finals, the Atlanta Dream have finally secured a venue large enough to accommodate a crowd to support their pursuit of the championship.
Although it initially appeared the team would be forced to play all three home games of the series at the smaller-capacity Gateway Center Arena, which they use throughout the WNBA season, they will instead play at State Farm Arena. The home of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks has seating capacity for over 17,000 fans, versus the 3,500 at the Dream's Gateway.
The Dream's Angel Reese, who led them in a three-game sweep over the New York Liberty, spoke about the decision to host the games in the larger arena compared to where they typically play.
"It's a bittersweet moment because I do love Gateway so much and I love the intimacy of being here and all the fans coming out and supporting us," Reese told WSB-TV. "Even if we couldn't go to State Farm, I was going to be grateful to just be able to be here and have everybody here. We probably had a big TV outside and everybody outside. It would be a whole cookout."
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"I am looking forward to everybody showing up and supporting us at State Farm," she said. "You don't know who you're gonna see in Atlanta, so everybody always has fun."
While the higher-seeded Golden State Valkyries will host the first two games of the WNBA Finals in their home venue, the series shifts to Atlanta for Game 3 on Wednesday, Oct. 21, and Game 4 on Saturday, Oct. 24. If there were a Game 6 in the series, Atlanta would host that on Thursday, Oct. 29, as well.
This marks the Dream's fourth appearance in the WNBA Finals. However, they've been swept in their previous three appearances in 2010, 2011, and 2013, and are looking for a much different result. Having the bigger venue will give much more support in that quest.
They're slight underdogs to win the series, but having Angel Reese has been a major boost for the team. In her first season since being traded from the Chicago Sky to Atlanta, she's averaged 16.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.
The WNBA Finals open on Saturday, Oct. 17, with Golden State hosting Game 1 beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET.
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