The Dream will call State Farm home again for Game 6.
After what were described as “frantic discussions” by ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne on Monday, the WNBA announced that Atlanta’s State Farm Arena is officially set to host Game 6 of the WNBA Finals between the Dream and Valkyries on Thursday with a 12:30 p.m. ET tip-off.
The matchup will be a part of a doubleheader day for the venue.
The NBA’s Hawks are set to host the Cavaliers at night and the franchise pushed back the tip-off time by an hour to 8 p.m. to accommodate the Dream.
The move prevented Atlanta from hosting a potential championship game at their 3,500-seat home arena, Gateway Center Arena.
It also allows the league to keep a potential Game 7 on Saturday.
On Sunday, sources told ESPN that the Dream were back negotiating with the league to adjust the schedule to play at the Hawks’ arena for the sake of the fans and Finals atmosphere.
The WNBA made accommodations for the team regarding Game 3 and 4.
For the former, the league moved the game up a day to Wednesday, Oct. 21. For Game 4, the Hawks agreed to hold a doubleheader and delayed the tip-off time of their home opener by 30 minutes. Previously, the Dream looked for solutions at other alternate arenas, including Georgia Tech’s McCamish Pavilion or Gas South Arena in Duluth.
“We are waiting to hear from the league if any changes can be made to allow us to play in State Farm Arena. If not, the game will be played in Gateway Center Arena,” a Dream spokesperson told ESPN Sunday.
Another option under consideration involved moving Game 6 to Friday, Oct. 30, an open date for the arena, and moving Game 7 to Tuesday, Nov. 3 at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
The decision by the WNBA doesn’t seem it will harm it or the NBA finanically in this way.
The Dream sold out the 17,000-fan arena for both Games 3 and 4. Tickets for Game 6 will go on sale on Monday at 4 p.m. ET.
“The sellout crowds and extraordinary atmosphere at State Farm Arena for Games 3 and 4 were a tremendous success, and we’re excited to give thousands more fans the opportunity to experience Game 6 with a championship on the line,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. “We thank the NBA, Dream, Valkyries, Hawks, State Farm Arena and USA Network for the collaboration and flexibility that made this move possible. We look forward to delivering another unforgettable Finals experience in Atlanta.”
The Finals series is currently tied at two games apiece with Game 5 on the line on Monday night in the Bay Area.
The winner of the series will be a first-time champion.
