WNBA adjusts Finals schedule, moves Dream home games to State Farm Arena

It was not immediately clear from the statement or breaking reports whether a potential Game 6, scheduled for the Dream to host on Oct. 29 if necessary, would also be played at State Farm Arena.

Nevertheless, the announcement is remarkable in more ways than one. Not only does the move now enable the Dream to play in front of a capacity crowd of 17,044, comparable to the Valkyrie's 18,064 seats at Chase Center – which they themselves share with the Golden State Warriors – but the coordination needed to make the move could represent a groundbreaking precedent for years to come.

Unlike some other men's and women's basketball counterparts that share a city, the Dream, Hawks, and State Farm Arena are each represented by their own distinct ownership groups. What's more, Games 3 and 4, originally scheduled for Oct. 22 and 24, were both already booked for State Farm Arena with a concert and the Hawks regular season opener, respectively.

Now, to accommodate the Dream, Game 3 has been pushed up to Oct. 21 by the WNBA, and Game 4 will now tip off at 1 p.m. in what will be the first leg of a monumental basketball doubleheader, with the Hawks going ahead with their own game at a rescheduled time of 8:30 p.m.

As stars like Reese continue to bring new fans to the women's side of the game, and as clubs like the Valkyries represent the continuing opportunities for successful expansion across the WNBA, it isn't outrageous to think that scheduling conflicts will continue to come up and demand for the biggest games to be played in the biggest arenas will continue to grow. 

If Tuesday's announcement is anything to go by, the basketball world looks to be more than ready to sort those questions out and lift the women's game up where it belongs.