The Atlanta Dream raised concerns about scheduling conflicts between the WNBA Finals and other events at the city’s State Farm Arena months ago, according to a scathing open letter to Atlanta released Tuesday evening.
In the letter to the city of Atlanta, the Dream responded to criticism leveled at the team, the WNBA and the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks over scheduling conflicts that complicated the WNBA Finals. Games 3 and 4 had to be postponed – Game 3 was played a day earlier than originally scheduled and Game 4 started in the early afternoon instead of the evening – due to conflicts with a concert and the Hawks’ home opener.
Now that the series is heading to a Game 6, the Dream’s showdown against the Golden State Valkyries will take place on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. ET at State Farm Arena, as the Hawks will host the Cleveland Cavaliers that evening.
The issues were known to the Dream and brought to the league’s attention, but the letter signed by owners Larry and Robyn Gottesdiener, Suzanne Abair and Renee Montgomery indicated their concerns had been largely ignored.
“Two months ago, when the WNBA finalized the dates and times for the playoffs, we raised concerns that the W Finals schedule conflicted with NBA games at State Farm Arena,” the letter read. “As we progressed through the playoffs, we reiterated these concerns. Our concerns were not given the attention or urgency they deserved.”
“Maybe we thought the Dream wouldn’t make it this far. Maybe our place in the finals wasn’t taken into account. Whatever the reason, the reality is that we are here. We earned our place in the finals and our city deserves the opportunity to show up for their team.”
The letter added that the 12:30 p.m. ET tip for Game 6 was “not what we would have chosen or what we fought for.” The Valkyries lead 3-2 in the final and could clinch their first title on Thursday.
CNN has reached out to the WNBA for comment on the letter.
The Dream, which joined the WNBA as an expansion team in 2008, used State Farm Arena – then known as Philips Arena – for home games from 2008 to 2016. Gateway Center Arena, located outside the city in College Park, served as the team’s full-time home for the past six years. The team will return to State Farm Arena permanently in 2027.
The difference in capacity between the two arenas is stark: Gateway Center can accommodate about 3,500 fans, while State Farm accommodates more than 17,000.
Not all WNBA franchises in cities with NBA teams share arena ownership or management. This is the case in Atlanta: the Dream franchise is separately owned by the Hawks, who operate State Farm Arena.
The Dream’s owners thanked the Hawks for working to ensure the final games could take place at State Farm Arena.
“We believed our fans and the city wanted the opportunity to be a part of this historic series and see it played on a world-class stage. That meant State Farm Arena,” the letter said.
“We’re grateful to everyone who helped make this possible, especially our partners – the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena – who stepped up to the plate by adjusting their schedules on the fly, not once, but three times. And what a celebration it was: a party, a concert and incredible Dream Basketball all in one.”
The letter added: “This is what Atlanta supporting Atlanta looks like. The Hawks and the Dream are different teams with different histories, but we share a city, a community and the responsibility to help Atlanta shine on the biggest stages. When one of us has the opportunity to make history, we all want it to happen.”
While the NBA often gets priority when double-booking shared arenas — such as in 2023, when a Janet Jackson concert was postponed to accommodate a Hawks first-round playoff game against the Boston Celtics — the WNBA has a history of playoff games being moved due to venue availability over its 30 seasons.
Last year, the Valkyries — shocking the WNBA world by reaching the playoffs in their inaugural season in 2025 — moved a first-round playoff game more than 40 miles to San Jose’s SAP Center, home of the NHL’s San Jose Sharks, because the Laver Cup tennis tournament was booked at Chase Center.
CNN’s Jill Martin contributed to this report.
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