Atlanta Dream Sell Out State Farm Arena to Beat Golden State Valkyries in WNBA Finals Game 3

The Atlanta Dream sold out State Farm Arena with a crowd of 17,099 fans on Wednesday night, defeating the Golden State Valkyries 97–71 to take a 2–1 lead in the WNBA Finals.

Atlanta Crowds Fill State Farm Arena

Wednesday's sellout marked a massive shift in attendance for a franchise that drew a league-low average of roughly 3,000 fans per game during the 2023 season.

“Our fans toed the line, every single possession they were there,” Dream forward Angel Reese said after the win. “I feel like Ballhalla is loud, and Atlanta showed up on a Wednesday school and work night.”

Golden State Valkyries vs. Atlanta Dream | WNBA Finals Game 3 | WNBA on ESPN

Guard Rhyne Howard, who has played for Atlanta since 2022, credited the home support for driving the blowout victory. “We play for this arena, people play to get in here, and a sold-out crowd was on time, loud the whole time, and pretty much didn’t shut up except for free throws, which definitely helped us,” she said.

Golden State Faces Hostile Road Environment

The Valkyries arrived in Atlanta after splitting the first two games of the series at Chase Center. Golden State boasts the highest attendance in the league during its second year of existence, earning a reputation as a difficult venue for visiting teams.

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“The atmosphere is great, and we’re happy everyone is out here supporting women’s basketball,” said Golden State guard Tiffany Hayes, who previously played for the Dream from 2012 to 2022.

Before this season, Atlanta shifted select high-demand home games away from Gateway Center Arena to State Farm Arena specifically to host Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, where those sellouts depended largely on visiting crowds. The current postseason attendance surge, by contrast, is fueled entirely by local support for the Dream.

Permanent Move to State Farm Arena

The franchise solidified its downtown future on October 6 by signing a multi-year agreement to play all home games at State Farm Arena starting next season, sharing the venue with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks. At Gateway Center Arena, the Dream previously shared facilities with the College Park Skyhawks, the Hawks’ NBA G League affiliate.

Scheduling logistics remain unresolved for a potential Game 6 in Atlanta, which would conflict with a Hawks home game against Cleveland scheduled for the same evening. Game 4 of the WNBA Finals on Saturday has already been pushed forward to a 1 p.m. local start time to avoid overlapping with the Hawks’ home opener against Houston later that night.