Angel Reese Reacts to Dream Hosting WNBA Finals Games at Hawks' Arena Ahead of Game 1 vs. Valkyries

Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese says it will be "bittersweet" to move to a larger arena for at least two games of the 2026 WNBA Finals.

The WNBA announced Tuesday the Dream would play Games 3 and 4 of the Finals at the team's future home of State Farm Arena, which seats more than 17,000, as opposed to the 3,500-seat Gateway Center Arena.

"I do love Gateway, so much, and I love the intimacy of being here and all the fans coming out and supporting us," Reese told WBS-TV Tuesday (0:49 mark of the video below. "And even if we couldn't go to State Farm, I was going to be grateful to just be able to be here and just have everybody here. We probably would've had a big TV outside, and everybody outside. It would be a whole cookout."

"But I am looking forward to everybody showing up and supporting us at State Farm, because every game has been a great turnout. Celebrities on the side... you don't know who you're going to see in Atlanta."

The Dream has played at Gateway Center Arena since 2021. The franchise announced last week the team would make a full-time move to State Farm Arena ahead of the 2027 season.

The move came after the Dream saw more than 400 percent growth in season ticket membership over the past five years, according to the team.

After the Dream clinched a Finals berth last Friday with a semifinal sweep of the New York Liberty, the WNBA shifted the schedule of the championship in order to accommodate playing Games 3 and 4 at the larger capacity venue.

It is not clear where Game 6 would take place, if necessary, because the current schedule conflicts with an Oct. 29 Atlanta Hawks game.

The Dream are preparing to battle for a title against the Golden State Valkyries, which have sold out every game at their own 18,000-person home of Chase Center for each of their two seasons in the WNBA.

Game 1 of the Finals is set to tip off Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET in San Francisco.