A year ago, Dana Evans was a free agent fresh off a frustrating season with the Chicago Sky. And when she was acquired by the Las Vegas Aces, few expected she’d be one of the critical keys to a WNBA championship.
But now, just a few days removed from the Aces third title in four years, it’s clear that she was.
Evans, a 2021 second-round draft pick, spent her entire WNBA career in Chicago, and was largely to be a core part of a 2024 Sky team headlined by then-rookies Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso.
But, things didn’t work out. The 5’6 guard was moved from the starting lineup to the bench, and saw her minutes (and production) decline as the season progressed. All the while, she faced harsh online scrutiny for her play that she described as “disgusting” in a postgame interview last September.
“This season really challenged my mental to another level,” Evans said then.
Flash forward one year, and Evans is a WNBA champion
Not only that, she’s fresh off the most efficient season and playoff run of her career; in in the Aces’ 12-game postseason run, she averaged 8.5 points and 3 assists, while shooting 47% from the field, 53% from three, and 100% from the line.
That efficiency is something she’s proud of.
The highlight of her postseason run was Game 1 of the Finals, when she tallied 21 points on 8-13 FG, 4 steals, and 3 assists. In a fourth quarter that came down to the wire, Evans poured in 3 three-pointers, helping the Aces take a 1-0 Finals lead.
But, her contributions in that game isn’t what she’ll remember most, she said. It’s all about the title.
“I’m blessed and grateful for that, but I’m still just on a high from just winning the championship,” Evans said in her Aces exit interview on Monday. “Obviously, I’m happy that I showed up in Game 1 and was able to help, but I wouldn’t say that’s something that I’m still just really, really thinking about.”
When Evans landed in Las Vegas, it was an opportunity to join a championship organization, a team that was one year removed from the brightest stage in basketball. And, while it wasn’t certain what kind of role she’d play considering the fact she was joining a team that already boasted three Olympic guards — Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, and Jewell Loyd — she had her on the prize from the jump.
“Being a champion is what I wanted to do this whole year,” Evans said. “That’s the most important part for me.”
Evans wasn’t the only Aces role player who has faced heavy scrutiny in the past year; NaLyssa Smith, who was on the Indiana Fever last season and then on the Dallas Wings earlier this season, said she was in a similar boat, as was Kiersten Bell, a longtime Aces role player.
The trio bonded through the online scrutiny they faced.
“That was just added fuel to our fire and motivating us more, but it also allowed us to grow closer together and lean on each other more and just uplift each other,” Evans said. “I was just always trying to be that positive person for both of them.”
“When I could see that they would get down on themselves or something was bothering them, it’s hard, because we are professional athletes, and are we going to be criticized? Absolutely we are going to be criticized. We know that, we understand that, but it’s the way people go about it, and it’s how you do things. And I think it takes a toll on you. It takes a toll on you mentally. So just having people that have dealt with it in your corner, and to see them winning, it makes me happy. I’m just blessed that we were able to come out on top.”
After the championship, Evans turned to social media to celebrate: “It’s nothing like getting the last laugh,” she posted on X.
Evans scored in the double-figures in 6 of 12 playoff games, including a 10-point outing in the final game of the Finals. She brought a fiery energy to Las Vegas on both ends, one that she attributes to her upbringing.
“I’ve always played with a chip on my shoulder,” Evans said. “I’ve always been counted out. So, I take everything on the shoulder — I feel like everybody comes at me because I’m 5’6, or whatever, on a good day. They try to attack me, or try to think that they can punk me because I’m smaller, but I am from Gary [Indiana], and I’m not scared, and I’m not ever going to back down.”
Evans described every aspect of her experience with the Aces as a “breath of fresh air.” And, while it’s no longer about last season, finishing this one at the top of the basketball world has meant everything.
