Dana Evans is a professional basketball player from the United States, currently playing for the Las Vegas Aces in the Women’s National Basketball Association. She was recognized as a two-time ACC Basketball Player of the Year while attending the University of Louisville and was selected by the Dallas Wings as the 13th overall pick in the 2021 WNBA draft.
Born on August 1, 1998, in Gary, Indiana, Dana Evans did not begin playing basketball until the fourth grade, but she quickly excelled in the sport. Her defensive skills earned her praise, and by the sixth grade, she had received a college basketball offer from Valparaiso head coach Keith Freeman. Evans became the first girl from Gary to participate in the McDonald’s All-American Game, averaging over 35 points per game during her senior year, while also securing three Class 4A sectional titles for West Side Leadership Academy.
As one of the leading recruits in college basketball, Dana Evans chose to play for Louisville, where she earned a spot on the ACC All-Freshman team in 2018. During her sophomore year, she was honored as the ACC sixth player of the year, having averaged more than 10 points per game while coming off the bench.
Dana Evans was honored as the ACC Player of the Year in 2020, marking her as the first player in ACC history to transition from winning the sixth player of the year award to being named player of the year. Additionally, she received the conference player of the year title in 2021, making it the fourth consecutive season that a player from the Louisville program was recognized as the conference’s top player.
Dana Evans was selected by the Dallas Wings as the 13th overall pick in the 2021 WNBA draft. On June 2, 2021, she was traded to the Chicago Sky in exchange for Shyla Heal, the option to swap first-round picks with the Chicago Sky in the 2022 WNBA draft, and a third-round draft pick for 2022.
While with the Chicago Sky, Dana Evans served as the backup point guard to Courtney Vandersloot. She earned a spot on the 2021 WNBA All-Rookie Team and contributed to the Chicago Sky’s victory in the 2021 championship, where they triumphed over the Phoenix Mercury with a 3–1 series win in the 2021 WNBA Finals.
During the winter of 2021, Dana Evans played for KSC Szekszárd in Hungary.
In the 2022 WNBA season, Dana Evans achieved her first career start during the season opener, where she set a new personal best by scoring 24 points. Following this, she returned to the bench for the rest of the season, maintaining her position as a backup point guard. Nevertheless, her playing time decreased with the mid-season addition of another point guard, Julie Allemand. The Sky were unable to replicate their successful run from 2021, as they were defeated in the semifinals with a score of 2–3 against the Connecticut Sun.
Since the 2022–2023 season, Dana Evans has been a player for Besiktas in the Turkish Super League. She emerged as the leading scorer in the 2023–24 EuroCup Women and guided her team to the finals, where they ultimately lost 145–149 on aggregate to the London Lions.
With the exit of several key players prior to the 2023 WNBA season, including starting point guard Vandersloot, Dana Evans’s responsibilities and playing time increased with the Chicago Sky. Although she did not take on the starting position, facing competition from newcomers Courtney Williams and Marina Mabrey, her playing time nearly doubled, and she achieved career-high averages across all statistical categories. The Chicago Sky qualified for the playoffs as the eighth seed but were eliminated in the first round by the eventual champions, the Las Vegas Aces.
Dana Evans commenced the 2024 WNBA season as the primary point guard for the Chicago Sky. Nevertheless, she lost her starting position twelve games into the season and faced irregular playing time for the remainder of it. As a result of her diminished role, Dana Evans initiated discussions regarding a trade prior to the Olympic break in July, but ultimately remained with the Sky for the duration of the season.
On February 7, 2025, Dana Evans was traded to the Las Vegas Aces in return for the 16th and 22nd picks in the 2025 WNBA draft.
Dana Evans career highlights
1x WNBA champion
1x WNBA All-Rookie Team (2021)
2x WBCA All-American (2020, 2021)
2x ACC Player of the Year (2020, 2021)
2x First-team All-ACC (2020, 2021)
More photos of Dana Evans
Leave a Reply