“MOVE TO A BIGGER ARENA!!!” - WNBA fans hype Atlanta Dream for sell-out crowd in home opener

Coming off their first playoff appearance in five years, the Atlanta Dream continue to experience a record-high ticket demand this season. They sold out Tuesday's home opener against the Dallas Wings at Gateway Center Arena in Atlanta. While the news hyped WNBA fans, some called for the franchise to relocate to a bigger venue.

The Dream, led by 2022 No. 1 pick Rhyne Howard, finished fifth (19-21) in the league last season, making the postseason for the time since 2018. They lost their first-round playoff series against the Wings 2-0. Nonetheless, their improvement garnered them record-breaking ticket sales this offseason.

On April 22, the franchise announced that it sold out its season ticket allotment for the 2024 season. That made Atlanta the second team in WNBA history to do so, joining the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, who sold out their season ticket allotment the month prior.

The Dream also experienced historic single-game ticket sales during last month's limited presale, selling out five games. Afterward, team president and COO Morgan Shaw Parker said that the "excitement around women’s sports, particularly basketball, is at an all-time high." She added that "nowhere is that [excitement] felt more than in Atlanta."

Among the Dream's sold-out contests was Tuesday's 83-78 home-opener victory over the Wings, a rematch of last year's playoff series.

Many fans on X/Twitter were hyped by the sell-out, congratulating the team.

"Thank you ladies for a great start to the season," @osbydreams said.

"Period," @IamAsiahn said.

"Awesome," @VPettigen said.

Meanwhile, some noted that it's time for the Atlanta Dream to upgrade to a larger arena. They currently have the WNBA's smallest venue, with a 3,500 fan capacity.

"MOVE TO A BIGGER ARENA!!!," @TBRBWAY said.

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Atlanta Dream already relocated 2 regular-season games to NBA venue

The Atlanta Dream already took the initiative to meet their increased ticket demand for two upcoming regular-season matchups.

On Thursday, the team announced that it shifted its June 21 and Aug. 25 home contests against the Indiana Fever to State Farm Arena.

State Farm Arena, the home of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks, features a 17,000-plus fan capacity. That is around five times more than the Dream's 3,500 available seats at Gateway Center Arena. They currently share the venue with the Hawks' NBA G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks.

The venue shift will accommodate fan demand to watch Fever rookie phenom Caitlin Clark, the 2024 draft's No. 1 pick. It also provides another testament to the WNBA's ever-growing popularity.

"Atlanta Dream fans are the best in the WNBA," Morgan Shaw Parker said. "Their passion and excitement led us to the most sellouts in the league over the last two years and has created a demand for tickets that far outpaces the supply inside our current arena, which is why we wanted to find a way to give more fans access to experience these two games."