The Atlanta Dream secured State Farm Arena for Games 3 and 4 of the 2026 WNBA Finals against the Golden State Valkyries, the league announced Tuesday.

Dream Land Last-Minute Venue Change for 2026 WNBA Finals

After days of uncertainty over where the franchise would host its first finals games since 2013, the 16,888-seat downtown venue is now confirmed. It marks a major upgrade from the 3,500-capacity Gateway Center Arena where the Dream has played most of its home games since 2021.

To make it work, the WNBA adjusted its postseason slate. Game 3 shifts from October 22nd to Wednesday, October 21st at 8 PM ET on USA and Peacock. Those dates sidestep a previously booked concert at the arena.

For Game 4 on October 24th, the NBA's Hawks agreed to push their home opener against Houston from 8 PM to 8:30 PM ET. That shift clears an afternoon window with the Dream vs Valkyries tipoff now slotted for 1 PM ET on NBC.

Gateway Center will still host Game 6 if the series reaches it on October 29th. On the other side, the Valkyries play Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 at the 18,064-seat Chase Center in San Francisco, affectionately nicknamed "Ballhalla" by fans.

Game 1 tips off Saturday, October 17th at 3:30 PM ET on NBC.

No. 2 Golden State is pacing ahead of schedule, as the Valkyries ousted reigning champion No. 3 Las Vegas 87-77 in overtime on Friday to book a first-ever trip to the WNBA finals.

The Valkyries became the first expansion team to reach the championship in just its second year. And they pulled off a semifinal sweep behind unmatched depth.

“We’re making history,” said guard Veronica Burton. “This is unimaginable, but for us it’s so realistic. It’s what we expected and what we worked toward.”

The result guarantees the league its first debut champion since 2024. However, Golden State faces the similarly scrappy No. 4 Atlanta squad.

The Valkyries earned the WNBA’s top defensive rating this season, while second-place Atlanta posted the highest steal rate with 9.1 per game.

“We’ve all, in one way or fashion, been the underdogs,” said Golden State reserve guard Kaila Charles. “It’s just that mentality of having the chip on our shoulder, understanding that this could be taken away unless you give 110%.”

The WNBA finals tip off on Saturday at 3:30 PM ET (NBC).

The underdogs are heading home. Both No. 8 New York and No. 3 Las Vegas host must-win Game 3 clashes in tonight’s WNBA semifinals slate.

The Liberty will try to get past No. 4 Atlanta, after Wednesday’s controversial overtime victory cemented the Dream’s 2-0 semifinal series lead.

The Aces will look for answers against No. 2 Golden State, after the Valkyries overcame a late rally to push the reigning champion to the brink of elimination.

History is stacked against the home sides. No WNBA team has ever come back from a 2-0 deficit to win a best-of-five playoff series.

The sportsbooks also favor a first-time title-winner. Golden State (+120) and Atlanta (+130) are subsequently outpacing Las Vegas (+800) and New York (+1300).

“The goal is to get one quarter at a time,” said Aces head coach Becky Hammon. “And you got to string it together.”

New York welcomes Atlanta tonight at 7:30 PM ET (ESPN2). Later, Las Vegas tips off against Golden State at 9:30 PM ET (NBC Sports).

Breanna Stewart isn't satisfied with tying Sue Bird. The New York Liberty forward made that clear in a sit-down with Jason Sudeikis for The Hollywood Reporter's "Game Recognize Game" series, where she laid out her biggest career goal.

"I want to beat Sue," Stewart said. "I want to beat all the records. It's never enough."

Where Does Stewart Stand Against Bird's WNBA Record?

After winning her fourth World Cup gold in Berlin this summer, Stewart matched Bird's US record for the most in tournament history. Weeks later, she passed her on the WNBA's all-time scoring list, climbing to ninth with 6,804 career points. That's one more than Bird managed across nearly two decades.

Still, the Liberty star sees those milestones as a starting point. With three WNBA titles, two league MVPs, and three Olympic golds already on her résumé, Stewart is chasing a legacy that overtakes Bird's instead of just mirroring it. And according to Stewart, her former Team USA teammate knows it.

"She's aware," Stewart said. "She knows I want to beat her."

Her chase continues in the 2026 WNBA playoffs, where the Liberty trail the Atlanta Dream 2-0 after a tight 101-98 Game 2 loss in overtime. Stewart put up huge numbers that second meeting with 35 points and 11 rebounds. But, her conversation with Sudeikis hints she has more left to give as New York push for a comeback.

They'll host the Dream at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Friday at 7:30 PM ET on ESPN 2.

The WNBA’s TV ratings boom keeps rolling, as Sunday’s semifinal doubleheader averaged 1.15 million viewers — up 10% over last year’s viewership.

Game 1 between No. 4 Atlanta and No. 8 New York drew 1.17 million on ABC, before No. 3 Las Vegas and No. 2 Golden State pulled 1.12 million on NBC — marking the network’s first WNBA playoffs broadcast since 2002.

Both WNBA clashes aired opposite NFL Sunday, holding their own to become the second- and third-most-watched semifinal openers on record.

The news follows a record first round that averaged 1.3 million viewers across 10 playoff games – up 37% over 2025 — with 2.3 million tuning in to see Las Vegas oust No. 6 Indiana last week.

No. 4 Atlanta eked it out last night, as the Dream outlasted No. 8 New York 101-98 in overtime to seize a 2-0 semifinal lead in the best-of-five Liberty vs Dream WNBA playoffs series.

With top scorer Allisha Gray sidelined, Atlanta converted 17 turnovers into 28 points behind DPOY Angel Reese and breakout guard Jordin Canada. 

“Adversity builds character,” Reese said. “All of us have been in situations in our life where we felt like it was the last possession, or our backs were against the wall... All of us were saying, ‘Just one more.’”

Liberty star Breanna Stewart put up 25 first-half points but was held to 10 after the break, while rookie Marine Fauthoux erupted for a career-high 20 — including the clutch 3-pointer that forced overtime.

Confusion ruled the game’s final seconds, as Stewart said she called for a timeout and was denied, while the crew chief stated otherwise — leading the New York to file an official inquiry into the situation.

“When I ask both refs if we have a reset timeout at the end, and they tell us ‘no,’ and then we leave the game with a reset timeout, it’s pretty frustrating,” she told reporters. “Would just love to have some clarity on that.”

The series lands in Brooklyn on Friday, as the Liberty hosts the Dream at 7:30 PM ET (ESPN2).

No. 2 Golden State is on the brink of WNBA history, as the second-year franchise held off No. 3 Las Vegas 83-81 in last night’s Aces vs Valkyries clash to take a 2-0 playoffs lead — moving within one win of its first trip to the finals.

The Valkyries built a 17-point lead by the third quarter, leaning on a swarming perimeter defense that left the Aces scrambling.

Las Vegas stormed back to grab its first lead since Game 1, before Gabby Williams buried a go-ahead jumper and fed Veronica Burton for a dagger 3-pointer to seal it.

The result underscored the WNBA playoffs series’ emphasis on depth over star power, as Golden State met four-time MVP A’ja Wilson with its tested rotation.

Aces coach Becky Hammon emptied her bench in search of answers, deploying Kalani Brown, Justine Pissott, and two-time champion Dana Evans.

“If we lose, we go home,” Hammon said of her squad’s approach to Game 3. “We know we’re capable of stringing three in a row... No reverse psychology, no nothing. Just go out and get it done.”

The best-of-five series moves to Las Vegas tomorrow, as the Aces host the Valkyries at 9:30 PM ET (NBC Sports).

No. 3 Las Vegas is shooting its shot, searching for a bounce-back against No. 2 Golden State tonight after opening the best-of-five Aces vs Valkyries WNBA playoffs series with a 71-60 loss.

Gabby Williams dropped 25 points in Game 1, one-upping A’ja Wilson’s 24 while holding Las Vegas to a season-low 60 points on the road.

Wilson has anchored the Aces all postseason with 26.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game, with Jackie Young putting up 20.2 points on 46.3% shooting over her last 10.

The banged-up Aces’ lineup hangs in the balance, with guard Jewell Loyd currently listed as “doubtful” after the veteran departed Game 1 with a left leg knock.

Las Vegas carried a hefty IL on Sunday, as Loyd joined Stephanie Talbot (leg), Dana Evans (knee), and NaLyssa Smith (SEI) on the bench.

“We’re a little bit depleted right now,” coach Becky Hammon said. “At some point I wish we would get healthy, but you know, it is what it is.”

Las Vegas takes on Golden State tonight at 9:30 PM ET (NBC Sports).

No. 4 Atlanta is gearing up for Game 2, looking to take a commanding 2-0 WNBA semifinals lead over No. 8 New York tonight after scoring a 92-82 win in Game 1 of the Liberty vs Dream playoffs.

Jordin Canada and DeWanna Bonner combined for 48 points in the best-of-five series opener, offsetting Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu’s 27 points.

However, Atlanta will be without leading scorer Allisha Gray, ruled out with a hand injury she aggravated twice on Sunday — resulting in an early WNBA playoffs Game 1 exit.

The Dream is also making moves off the court, announcing plans to leave College Park’s 3,500-seat Gateway Center Arena to play full time at Atlanta’s 17,000-seat State Farm Arena next year.

The franchise has grown its season-ticket base more than 400% in five years while selling out the NBA venue eight times — including five of six regular-season games this year. 

“This is an exciting next chapter,” said Dream President and COO Morgan Shaw Parker. “State Farm Arena gives us the opportunity to welcome thousands of additional fans while creating an even bigger stage for women’s basketball in Atlanta.”

The Dream hosts the Liberty tonight at 7:30 PM ET (ESPN).

Caitlin Clark's season is over, but the crowd-size conversation she fueled this season is still going strong. The Indiana guard has drawn record viewership for the WNBA all year, most recently when the Fever's first-round series against the Las Vegas Aces pulled 2.1 million viewers on ABC.

Those ratings more than doubled last season's opening-round numbers. But after the Aces knocked out Clark's Fever in back-to-back postseasons, the popularity argument didn't end, it just shifted to Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream.

How Did Atlanta Dream's Playoff Crowd Compare to Caitlin Clark's Sellouts?

When the Dream hosted its WNBA playoffs game against the New York Liberty at State Farm Arena, 9,745 fans showed up. During the regular season, Clark's two visits to that same building each sold out at 17,044.

Critics stacked those numbers side by side almost immediately, accusing the league and the Dream of making the crowd seem bigger by closing off the arena's upper deck.

However, Atlanta pushed back, pointing to logistics as the reason for why the playoff battle failed to sell out. The Dream typically plays at Gateway Center Arena, which holds 3,500. The franchise only announced its postseason move to the 17,000-capacity NBA arena in late August, giving fans barely a month to buy in.

Despite the sparse crowd, Reese and the Dream cruised to a 92-82 victory against the Liberty in their first semifinals meeting on Sunday. They'll look to repeat that performance tomorrow night at home, hopefully in front of an even bigger crowd.