On Monday’s episode of ‘The Craig Carton Show,’ host Craig Carton criticized the WNBA’s handling of their Finals scheduling and venue choices, particularly concerning the Atlanta Dream. Carton’s insights bring attention to an ongoing issue that has caught the eyes of WNBA fans and critics alike.
Dispute Over Venue
Carton highlighted the fiasco surrounding the scheduling of WNBA Finals games. When the Atlanta Dream plays its championship series, they will do so outside their usual home, State Farm Arena. Instead, matches will be held at Gateway Center Arena, a smaller venue in College Park, Georgia.
‘The WNBA Finals, when it goes to Atlanta for the two or three games that’ll be played in Atlanta, will not be playing in the State Farm Arena,’ Carton stated.
The decision followed State Farm Arena executives booking events during potential Finals dates, forcing the Dream to relocate. The move was apparent when arena plans shifted to accommodate a concert by ‘Sombr,’ an act that draws enough attendees to warrant a larger venue than a WNBA game.
Raise your hand if you’ve heard of SOMBR. I haven’t.
Carton added.
Impact of Venue Changes
Carton emphasized that the change signifies a broader issue within the league. The title series should have been of top concern, but other priorities took precedence. The Gateway Center Arena mimics a high school gym with a mere capacity of around 3,500 seats, a stark difference from the attendance potential at State Farm Arena.
Despite this setback, Carton projected optimism regarding ticket sales. My gut is they will sell those games out, whether they give the tickets out for free or actually sell them.
WNBA’s Promotion Challenges
A critical point Carton raised involved the league’s emphasis on narratives over results or star players. The exclusion of names like Caitlin Clark or Sophie Cunningham as the face of the league seemed, in Carton’s view, to stifle attention on the Finals.
‘Last week, only about a half a million people watched the Atlanta Dream play in their series.’ Carton argued, ‘Why is it that nobody cares? Because the most popular players aren’t in it.’
Although Carton’s remarks paint a challenging picture for the WNBA’s current promotional strategies, he clearly demonstrates frustrations felt by devoted fans facing inconsistent venue accommodations.
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