After an outstanding season, the Atlanta Dream has made it to the WNBA Finals. In an improper congratulations, the Atlanta Hawks posted a flyer on Instagram featuring two faces who did not make the WNBA Finals — nor the NBA Finals.
The post included Hawks players Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker alongside Dream stars Angel Reese, Jordin Canada and Rhyne Howard. The post strangely sizes Johnson larger than, and in front of, Canada. The Oct. 9 post was captioned “DREAM ON…TO THE WNBA FINALS,” and is filled with enraged comments.
“This ain’t a group assignment,” a commenter wrote.
Even after the controversy that followed it, the post is still on the Hawks’ page. Instead of letting the Dream have its justified moment in the spotlight, the Hawks’ social media team thought it would be best to divert fans’ attention to their own undeserving players.
The Hawks’ offered support ends with the disappointing post, however. Despite selling out every game at the Gateway Center Arena over the last three seasons and the much larger State Farm Arena multiple times, the Dream’s spot in the State Farm arena for Games 3 and 4 of the WNBA finals was not secured with ease. The team was originally denied the larger arena due to scheduling conflicts, placing the Dream and its opponents in the smallest arena in the league for the Finals. The State Farm Arena maintained its refusal to reschedule, forcing the Dream to reschedule their matches to fit in between concerts and Hawks games.
The Dream’s grapple to obtain the arena came shortly after the team announced a multi-year agreement to hold all home games at the State Farm Arena beginning in the 2027 season. The move came in response to growing interest in the franchise and an increased ticket demand, making the 3,500-seat Gateway Center Arena unsuitable for the team’s momentum.
The Hawk’s firm schedule is unusual. NBA teams often reschedule preseason games to accommodate WNBA Finals. For the last two finals, the Minnesota Timberwolves changed their schedule to allow the Lynx to play in the larger arena in 2024, and the Phoenix Suns moved a preseason game to make room for the Mercury in 2025.
The Dream deserves a proper congratulations, and they should not have to fight for a suitable arena when preparing for the biggest games of the season.