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A week before the WNBA Finals tipped off, it wasn’t clear where the Dream would be hosting their games.
But on Wednesday for Game 3, Atlanta’s first WNBA Finals appearance since 2013, the team and its fans delivered.
The Dream sold out the 17,000-seat State Farm Arena, despite playing all of their regular-season games at the 3,500-seat Gateway Center. They had played their first three home playoff games in State Farm Arena, but averaged less than 10,000 fans per game as the team limited capacity.
The atmosphere in State Farm was one of the best the league has seen all year, challenging the noise levels of Ballhalla, the Valkyries’ home court that’s considered the best home court advantage in the WNBA.
“I thought Ballhalla was loud. Atlanta? Y’all came out,” Angel Reese said after the Dream’s win to take a 2–1 series lead over Golden State. “And on a Wednesday? On school night? They got work tomorrow. I appreciate y’all for coming out.”
The Dream pulled out some fan engagement staples, including a t-shirt and rally towel giveaway that colored the crowd light blue. Appearances from several celebrities added to the gravity of the moment, including athletes (Cam Newton, Allen Iverson, Ryan Clark, Kyle Pitts), actors (Chris Tucker, Kerry Washington), rap legends (Ludacris, T.I., 2 Chainz), and even Reese’s LSU coach Kim Mulkey.
They also had some uniquely Atlanta showcases, including performances from rappers such as Quavo and Lil Scrappy during game breaks—not just at halftime.
There were performances during timeouts and in between quarters that had many in the crowd on their feet during typically quiet periods.
“When you can have at the end of the quarter a performance, and in the timeout another performance—you smell the chicken, you smell the fish—it’s a blueout in here,” Reese said.
USA Network’s studio host Elle Duncan, who called Hawks games at State Farm Arena (previously called Philips Center) earlier in her career, called it “the absolute craziest atmosphere I’ve ever witnessed there in my life.”
Wednesday’s outcome was a massive win for an organization that just three years ago averaged less than 3,000 fans per game at the Gateway Center. It also reaffirms the five-year deal the team agreed to with State Farm Arena, which is owned by the City of Atlanta and operated by the Hawks, to play its regular-season games in the bigger venue starting next season.
Saturday’s Game 4 has not yet sold out, but a team source told FOS that there are limited seats remaining.
Still, one question looms: Where will Game 6 be played, if the Finals goes that far? The Dream hold a 2–1 series lead over the Valkyries, but another Valkyries win will guarantee Game 6 in Atlanta.
Last week, the WNBA rescheduled Games 3 and 4, allowing the Dream to play at State Farm Arena.But a Game 6 would be Thursday at 8 p.m., the same night as a Hawks home game.
Last week, Dream owner Renee Montgomery and State Farm Arena CEO Steve Koonin would not confirm the team’s plans in case of a Game 6.
Montgomery said: “We’ll have to wait and see.”
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