LAS VEGAS — Zeal was in the air in Michelob Ultra Arena, as the Aces warmed up for Game 2 of the WNBA semifinals. While the team gathers for shootaround, one player’s pre-game ritual looks a bit different. Guard Dana Evans emerged from the locker room, Bible in hand, before making her way to chapel ahead of Tuesday’s big game against the Indiana Fever.
Evans has been a key player for the Aces backcourt, coming off the bench and averaging 6.6 points and 2.2 assists per game in her first season with the team. Coach Becky Hammon recognizes the powerful duality of Evans in both her spirit and her ability to bring her physical talents to the table.
“Dana’s fun,” Hammon said. “Dana’s a firecracker. .. Her pressure, she’s ridiculously fast. I call her ‘Gears’ because she’s just got different gears and she gets to those gears quickly. We know she’s a great, great scorer.”
Once again, as it’s been all season, that became evident in what might have been considered a must-win game, as she scored 10 points during the Aces’ 90-68 win over the Indiana Fever, a victory that tied the best-of-five series, 1-1.
On top of her ability to make fast-break plays and uplift her team’s defensive power, Evans is a woman of faith above all. Although she always believed in a higher power, it was during her college years at the University of Louisville, where she was a two-time All-American and averaged 12.7 ppg and 3.9 apg over four years, that Evans started leaning into her faith and got baptized.
Since then, the Aces guard has remained pious and consistent in her faith, with consistency being a common theme in Vegas, where the team ended the regular season 30-14 on a 16-game win streak.
This season, Evans has been a clear asset to her team. As a devout Christian, she credits a large part of her success to Christ and the positive impact He’s had on her mental health.
“You have just a peace over you when you are doing this walk with Christ and you’re not doing life alone,” preaches Evans. “I feel like when you’re doing things alone, it’s hard. You get down on yourself, you start thinking about stuff, but when you have somebody like God that’s always there for you, you never feel alone.”
When speaking to Evans, you can hear the peace spoken of in her voice. The confidence – not to be mistaken with arrogance – she displays is powerful. She is a player who trusts in her beliefs and in herself. She knows her talent is unique.
“I feel like I bring something different, and I can be that spark,” said Evans, who has one championship ring from her time in Chicago. “So I always try to come in and give us whatever we’re missing, whether that’s scoring, whether that’s defense, whether that’s getting in the lane, getting someone open shots, just being whatever my team needs for me and stepping up and being ready when my number’s called.”
And Hammon knows that, which is why she is confident every time she brings Evans in off the bench, including Tuesday. Playing more than 18 minutes and being the facilitator her team needed, proving she is a spark, Hammon recognized the effort.
“I thought Dana set the pace in the first half,” Hammon said.
As much as Evans puts her faith in Christ, Hammon and her teammates know they can put their faith in their dependable guard.
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