The venue for the Atlanta Dream’s home games in the WNBA Finals remains unconfirmed. While the Dream are set to host Games 3, 4, and 6 (if necessary) against the Golden State Valkyries on Oct. 22, 24, and 29, their home arena since 2021—Gateway Center Arena at College Park—seats just 3,500 fans.
Given the small capacity, concerns have risen over holding Finals games there, though the team has yet to announce if a larger arena has been secured.
“We will not play a game outside of Chase Center this postseason,” Valkyries team president Jess Smith said. “Our ownership group (has) been committed to that … Things get booked in arenas with contingency dates. That’s standard operating procedure. It’s happened for decades. It’s not a headline … We understand the prioritization.”
“We didn’t have playoff games (at State Farm Arena) last year … but we had a couple of games there, and they felt like playoff games. So I think for us to have had those during the season and have the outcome that we had, I think it helps us get ready for this environment,” Dream guard Rhyne Howard said.
THE SUCCESS OF THE ATLANTA DREAM
Under first-year head coach Karl Smesko, the Atlanta Dream put together a standout 2026 campaign. They captured the Eastern Conference’s top seed with a 30–14 regular-season record. Built on high-octane offense—ranking third in the WNBA in scoring at 91.3 points per game. Bolstered by key additions like Angel Reese and veteran DeWanna Bonner alongside core stars Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray, Atlanta carried its regular-season dominance directly into October.
After sweeping the Washington Mystics and knocking off the New York Liberty in a grueling semi-final series, the Dream earned their first WNBA Finals appearance since 2013, cementing the 2026 season as one of the most transformative and successful chapters in franchise history.
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