It was a collective effort across both the Valkyries and Dream to set up a memorable WNBA Finals environment.
Following the league’s announcement that Game 3 and 4 will be played at State Farm Arena to solve Atlanta’s home game dilemmas, Valkyries owner Joe Lacob said he had a hand in the WNBA’s decision to adjust the schedule for the betterment of the series that will conclude with a first-time WNBA champion.
“I put quite a bit of pressure on the commissioner of the NBA & the WNBA,” Lacob told the Associated Press on Tuesday. “I felt, look, it’s not really about us it’s about the league. The look would not be too good to have Ballhalla & 18,000 fans here and 3,500 over there.”
Upon clinching their spot in the Finals after sweeping the Liberty, the Dream quickly realized they had a problem as hosts of Games 3, 4 and 6 (if necessary) at the arena with a capacity of 17,000.
The arena is hosting a Sombr concert on Oct. 22, the original date for Game 3, and a regular-season game for the NBA’s Hawks on Oct. 24, the scheduled date for Game 4.
The WNBA ultimately pushed Game 3 a day earlier to Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 8 p.m. ET, and Game 4’s tipoff time was moved to 1 p.m. ET on Oct. 24 rather than its initial start of 3:30 p.m. ET.
Lacob added that it’s important for the fan environment to be equal between the two cities.
“I think it’s important for the league to play these games in the finals, a great championship between two very good teams, in front of the same kind of crowd in both places,” he told the Associated Press.
The decision by the league saves the Dream from potentially hosting Finals games at their regular home gym of Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Ga., which only holds 3,500 fans.
The team also explored other venue options, including Georgia Tech’s basketball arena, McCamish Pavilion, which can accomodate 8,600 fans.
If the best-of-seven series goes beyond five games, the Dream still will have a conflict in hosting Game 6 on Oct. 29. The Hawks are set to host the Cavaliers that night for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
The Valkyries are only in their second season and fought their way to the Finals with a three-game sweep of the reigning champion Aces in the semifinals.
The Dream are completing in their first Finals since 2013.
The Finals are set to start Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET at Chase Center in San Francisco.
