Angel Reese Set for WNBA Finals Debut

Angel Reese is gearing up for her first appearance in the WNBA Finals as the Atlanta Dream faces off against the Golden State Valkyries in a best-of-seven series starting Saturday in California.

Fans of the Dream, who are excited to see star players like Reese, Rhyne Howard, and Allisha Gray in action, might find it challenging to secure tickets.

Currently, the Dream will host their home games at Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia, rather than the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, due to scheduling conflicts. This arena has a capacity of 3,500 for basketball events, which, frankly, seems a bit limited for a finals series.

The Dream haven’t confirmed whether they’ll find a larger venue for upcoming games, and there’s still a chance for that to happen. After all, Game 3 isn’t scheduled until October 22, followed by Game 4 on October 24.

Morgan Shaw Parker, the team’s president and chief operating officer, mentioned recently that they are “finalizing details on their home venue and where we will be playing.”

Interestingly, the State Farm Arena is already booked for a performance on October 22 and the Atlanta Hawks have a game set against the Houston Rockets on October 24. So that complicates things a bit.

It’s worth noting that while the McCamish Pavilion, home of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, appears to be available on those dates, it only has a capacity of 8,600. The Dream actually played in that venue from 2016 to 2018 while renovations were underway at State Farm Arena, so it’s not a new option for them.

As for the Dream’s playoff journey, they’ve been pretty dominant so far, sweeping both the Washington Mystics in the first round and the New York Liberty in the semifinals.

During the regular season, Atlanta finished with a solid record of 30-14, and Reese earned the Defensive Player of the Year award in her inaugural season with the team. It’s certainly an exciting time for her and the franchise as they look to make their mark in the finals.