Atlanta, clear your Thursday afternoon. The WNBA has moved Game 6 of the Finals to State Farm Arena, so the Dream will play for a title in front of a full house instead of the 3,500-seat Gateway Center.
Here’s the Plan
Game 6 between the Dream and the Golden State Valkyries is now set for Thursday, Oct. 29, at 12:30 p.m. ET at State Farm Arena, NBC Sports reports. It was originally scheduled for 8 p.m. The earlier tip makes room for the Hawks, who host the Cleveland Cavaliers in the same building that night. This is the second time in these Finals that the Dream and Hawks will share State Farm on the same day.
Until the announcement, the Dream had said the game would go to Gateway Center Arena in College Park if State Farm couldn’t be cleared. State Farm seats about 17,000, roughly five times Gateway’s capacity. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told USA TODAY the league is “excited to give thousands more fans the opportunity” to experience the game.
The Players Wanted the Big Stage
Asked over the weekend where she wanted Game 6, Angel Reese kept it simple, telling reporters “Here,” and calling another game in front of the home crowd “amazing,” per CBS Sports. Allisha Gray told USA TODAY the team is “locked in on winning Game 6,” and Jordin Canada said she was excited to be back at State Farm.
The series was tied 2-2 heading into Monday night’s Game 5 in San Francisco, so a Game 6 in Atlanta is guaranteed whatever happens there. Remember what this city did for the Game 3 sellout? Do it again. Bonus: the Dream have already announced a multi-year deal to play all home games at State Farm starting in 2027.
Why it matters: A Finals game on Atlanta soil, in a 17,000-seat arena, on a Thursday afternoon. If you’ve been looking for a reason to take a long lunch, this is it.
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Sources: NBC Sports, USA TODAY via Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports
