Dana Evans Bio
Dana Kiana Evans (born August 1, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Las Vegas Aces of the Women’s National Basketball Association and for Phantom BC of Unrivaled. A two-time ACC Basketball Player of the Year at the University of Louisville, she was drafted by the Dallas Wings with the 13th overall pick of the 2021 WNBA draft. Standing 168 centimeters tall, Evans is a guard known for her scoring efficiency and steady playmaking.
After beginning her professional career with the Dallas Wings and Chicago Sky, Evans joined the Las Vegas Aces in February 2025. Off the court, she is a Jordan Brand athlete and has represented United States basketball at multiple levels. Her career has included championships, individual awards, and stints playing overseas in Hungary and Turkey.
Early Life and Background
Early Life and Background
Dana Kiana Evans grew up in Gary, Indiana, in a community that has produced many notable basketball talents. Although she did not start playing basketball until the fourth grade, she quickly excelled at the sport and gained attention for her defensive instincts. By the sixth grade, her talent was so obvious that Valparaiso head coach Keith Freeman offered her a chance to play college basketball, a remarkable early signal of her potential.
Evans attended West Side Leadership Academy in Gary, where she became the first girl from the city to be selected for the McDonald’s All-American Game. In her senior season, she averaged more than 35 points per game while leading her team to three Class 4A sectional titles. Her high school success established her as one of the top recruits in the country before she ever stepped onto a college campus.
Path to Basketball
Evans committed to the University of Louisville, where she became one of the most decorated players in program history. As a freshman in 2018, she earned a spot on the ACC All-Freshman team, signaling her immediate impact at the collegiate level. During her sophomore season, she was named the ACC Sixth Player of the Year after averaging more than 10 points per game off the bench, a rare honor for a reserve.
In 2020, Evans was named the ACC Player of the Year, becoming the first player in conference history to go from winning the Sixth Player of the Year award to the top individual honor. She repeated as the conference’s top player in 2021, making Louisville the program to produce four consecutive ACC Players of the Year. She also earned Second-Team All-American honors from the AP in 2020 and First-Team All-American recognition in 2021, completing one of the most decorated careers in Louisville women’s basketball history.
Dana Evans Career
Early Career (2021)
Evans entered the 2021 WNBA Draft and was selected 13th overall by the Dallas Wings. Shortly after the 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 Sky in the 2022 WNBA draft, and a 2022 third-round pick. With Chicago, she became the backup point guard for Courtney Vandersloot, a role that allowed her to learn from one of the league’s premier playmakers.
Her rookie season ended on a high note. Evans was named to the 2021 WNBA All-Rookie Team and won the 2021 WNBA Championship with the Sky, who defeated the Phoenix Mercury three games to one in the Finals. That same winter, she also played overseas for KSC Szekszárd in Hungary, gaining international experience during the WNBA off-season.
Chicago Sky Tenure (2021–2024)
Evans opened the 2022 WNBA season with her first career start and set a new career-high with 24 points. She returned to a bench role for the remainder of the year, continuing to back up Vandersloot, though her minutes were reduced after the mid-season arrival of point guard Julie Allemand. The Sky were unable to repeat as champions, falling to the Connecticut Sun in the semifinals.
In 2023, Evans saw her role expand significantly after several key players, including Vandersloot, departed Chicago. Despite competition from newcomers Courtney Williams and Marina Mabrey, her playing time nearly doubled, and she posted career-high averages across major statistical categories. The Sky reached the playoffs as the eighth seed but were swept in the first round by the eventual champion Las Vegas Aces.
Evans began the 2024 WNBA season as the Sky’s starting point guard but lost that role after twelve games. Her inconsistent playing time prompted her to seek a trade before the Olympic break in July, though she ultimately stayed in Chicago for the rest of the year. She later joined Beşiktaş of the Turkish Super League for the 2022–23 season onward, becoming the top scorer of the 2023–24 EuroCup Women and leading her team to the finals, where they lost to the London Lions on aggregate.
Las Vegas Aces Era (2025–Present)
On February 7, 2025, Evans was traded to the Las Vegas Aces in exchange for the 16th and 22nd picks in the 2025 WNBA draft, joining one of the league’s championship contenders. Her move reunited her with a championship-caliber roster and provided a fresh opportunity to contribute as a veteran guard. Evans has since been part of a deep Aces backcourt rotation focused on competing for another WNBA title.
On November 5, 2025, Evans was drafted by Phantom BC for the 2026 Unrivaled season, further expanding her professional commitments. Her transition to the Aces has positioned her on a perennial contender while she continues to build her resume in both the WNBA and overseas competition.
Driving Style and Strengths
As a guard, Evans brings scoring efficiency, perimeter shooting, and steady decision-making to the Aces. Her experience as a backup and occasional starter with the Sky shaped her ability to adapt to different roles, and her international play sharpened her offensive creativity. Pairing that polish with the talent around her in Las Vegas has allowed her to focus on complementary scoring, spacing, and ball-handling in high-pressure situations.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Evans’s signature moments are her 2021 WNBA Championship with Chicago and her role in the 2023 Sky playoff run. Becoming the first player in ACC history to move from Sixth Player of the Year to Player of the Year stands as one of her most unique milestones, and leading the 2023–24 EuroCup Women in scoring for Beşiktaş highlighted her impact overseas.
Dana Evans Career Wins
Dana Evans has built a résumé that includes a WNBA championship with the Chicago Sky in 2021 and another with the Las Vegas Aces in 2025, along with multiple All-American and ACC honors from her time at Louisville. She has also added trophies and individual recognition overseas, including top-scorer honors in the EuroCup Women.
Chicago Sky Highlights
With the Chicago Sky, Evans won the 2021 WNBA Championship as a rookie and was named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team that same season. Over four seasons in Chicago, she grew from a developmental backup into a leading scorer, setting a career-high 24 points in 2022 and nearly doubling her minutes in 2023 to post career-best averages across major categories.
Las Vegas Aces Highlights
Since joining the Las Vegas Aces in February 2025, Evans has been part of a championship roster that won the 2025 WNBA title. Her role within the Aces rotation has complemented a deep backcourt, and she continues to contribute as the team defends its place among the league’s elite.
Other Wins & Performances
Beyond the WNBA, Evans played for KSC Szekszárd in Hungary during the winter of 2021 and has suited up for Beşiktaş in Turkey since the 2022–23 season. She finished as the top scorer of the 2023–24 EuroCup Women and led Beşiktaş to the competition’s finals, where they fell to the London Lions.
Dana Evans Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Dana Evans’s immediate family remains limited, with no widely confirmed details about her parents or siblings available in verified sources. Her upbringing in Gary, Indiana, however, placed her inside a basketball-rich environment that helped fuel her development as a young athlete.
Personal Life
Evans keeps much of her personal life private, and no verified public details about a spouse or children are available. Off the court, she is a Jordan Brand athlete and designed her own player exclusive colorway of the Jordan Tatum 2, which Jayson Tatum wore during the second game of the 2024 NBA Eastern Conference Finals.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 WNBA season marked a major shift for Evans after her February trade to the Las Vegas Aces. Joining a roster built to contend, she slotted into a guard rotation featuring multiple All-Stars, where her shooting and playmaking complemented the team’s championship core. The Aces captured the 2025 WNBA title, adding a second championship to Evans’s professional résumé.
Her experience navigating backup and starting roles with the Chicago Sky prepared her for the rhythm of a deep Aces rotation. She continued to balance her WNBA duties with overseas play for Beşiktaş in Turkey, where she remained a focal point of the team’s offense in European competition.
Looking ahead, Evans is set to participate in the 2026 Unrivaled season with Phantom BC after being drafted on November 5, 2025. With her Aces contract, Turkish Super League role, and Unrivaled schedule lined up, she enters 2026 with one of the most varied professional commitments of her career and a clear opportunity to chase more championships at every level.