The 2026 WNBA Finals are tied at 2-2. The Atlanta Dream are getting ready for an away Game 5 at Chase Center. But a bigger story is brewing back home. Their Game 6 against the Golden State Valkyries was supposed to be a home game, and it may not be played where fans expected.
Another scheduling conflict could force the Dream out of their preferred arena for Game 6, and Cam Newton has noticed the uncertainty.
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Cam Newton’s Makes Feelings Clear Regarding Atlanta Dream’s WNBA Finals Stadium Fiasco
On anepisode of the “4th&1 With Cam Newton” podcast, Newton brought up the Dream’s venue situation ahead of Game 6 of the WNBA Finals.
The former Carolina Panthers quarterback appeared surprised that a team competing for a championship could be forced to play in an arena with such limited seating capacity.
“Do you know, still at this particular point, from what I know, they still do not have a confirmed place for the Atlanta Dream to play… Bro, we’re talking about the WNBA finals, which if this was the NBA finals, this wouldn’t even be any concern, right?” Newton said during the podcast.
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Newton also compared the situation to college football, pointing out how venues associated with programs like Georgia Tech can accommodate more spectators. Meanwhile, the Dream’s current home, Gateway Center Arena in College Park, has a seating capacity of approximately 3,500 for basketball games.
“Bobby Dodd Stadium for Georgia Tech, they probably got 60,000 or 70,000. That’s football,” Newton added.
The former NFL star also wanted to know who was responsible for the situation. He questioned whose mistake it was not to properly plan for such a major event.
“It ain’t the scarcity; it’s just the impact of the sport. Football is America’s sport, whether you want to agree with it or not. Baseball is, you know, America’s pastime sport. Baseball ain’t even being dominated by US-born players no more… When I seen this, I’m like, why is this even? I see, I know why, but who made this mistake?” Newton added during his podcast.
In early October, Atlanta announced a multi-year agreement to make State Farm Arena its full-time home beginning in 2027. The venue, which can accommodate more than 17,000 spectators, would provide a significant upgrade over Gateway Center Arena.
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Scheduling conflicts initially put Atlanta’s Finals home games at State Farm Arena in doubt, but the league and its partners found solutions for Games 3 and 4. Game 3 was moved up one day, while Game 4 was played earlier Saturday before the Hawks’ home opener. A new conflict now threatens Game 6.
Now, the same issue has extended to Game 6, leaving Gateway Center Arena as the fallback if a State Farm Arena solution cannot be reached.
“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 said as per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou.
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The Dream are not the only ones who might be asked questions here. The WNBA has been growing fast, and moments like this show how much the league needs bigger and better planned venues.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
