Get to know Dana Evans, a veteran player alongside Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso
With their strong roster, the Chicago Sky are a strong candidate for the WNBA title this season. A breath of fresh air entered their locker room when they made the most of their draft selections, Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. However, because of their stellar resumes, certain other people can make a significant difference. Dana Evans, who is 25 years old, is one of the people who has previously done it.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
One of the main factors in the Dallas Wings’ 2021 championship run was their gifted shooting guard. Is she able to accomplish something like for the Chicago Sky this time? We’ll have to watch and find out.
View this post on Instagram
Evans was a no-brainer for the Wings after an amazing collegiate career in which she won numerous awards. She did, however, move to the Sky within a year, and they won their first championship. She first made her name as a player deserving of a spot in the professional league in Louisville, but it was before that.
Dana Evans in the Cardinal role
Over her career, the 5-foot-6 guard helped the Cardinals win a number of highly prestigious tournaments. The best came in her fourth season at Louisville, as she led the team all the way to the Elite Eight and, ultimately, to the championship game, where they were defeated by Stanford, the number one seed. As time went on at Louisville, Evans got better. But her best years were her senior year. With an incredible 20.1 points and 3.9 assists, she took the team lead.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
Her playmaking and attacking skills were complemented by a respectable defensive front. For the Cardinals, she pulled down 1.3 steals and provided 2.7 boards. Over the years, she also won a number of awards that confirmed her status as a superb hooper. These include the ACC Sixth Player of the Year, 2× WBCA All-American, 2× ACC Player of the Year, 2× First-team All-ACC, USBWA, 2020 Second-team All-American (AP), and 2021 First-team All-American (AP). Evans’s first season at Louisville had her on the ACC All-Freshmen Team as well.
View this post on Instagram
Dana Evans played for the Cardinals for four seasons at which time they won every regular-season championship. In her first year, they also took home the ACC conference trophy. She was selected with the thirteenth overall pick in the 2021 WNBA draft thanks to her flawless skill performance.
Dallas provides Dana Evans with some WNBA wings.
Dana Evans was the first pick made by the Dallas Wings in the second round, who was coming in with a rather dismal experience. She only appeared in six games for the squad, though, and as a rookie, she averaged just four minutes each game. After she struggled with the Wings, scoring 0.8 points and dishing out 0.5 assists, Dallas traded her to the Chicago Sky. In June 2021, she resumed her freshman year in Chicago and put on an outstanding show.
View this post on Instagram
Joining the Chi-Town squad allowed Evans to step up her game and increase her stats. She played an average of just 8.6 minutes per game during her debut season with the Sky, yet she still managed to grab 3.9 points and throw out 1.2 assists each contest. Having made the WNBA All-Rookie Team, the motivated guard concluded her rookie campaign in the major leagues. In addition, Chicago took home the WNBA title in that particular season.
View this post on Instagram
However, they were unable to duplicate the feat the following year, falling short in the 2022 season semifinals. They were defeated by the current champions, the Las Vegas Aces, in the opening round of the 2023 playoffs. Evans managed to raise her game even higher in spite of the ominous skies looming over Chicago. She averaged 21.5 minutes in 2023, adding 3 assists and 9 points to her bank. She now ranks second on the club in terms of average assist/TO ratio (1.9) and sixth among scorers on the squad.
View this post on Instagram
But with the addition of Kamilla Cardoso and SEC queen Angel Reese to their 2024 squad, the Sky could now experience some clearer times.
What role do Reese and Cardoso play in the Sky’s destiny?
Undoubtedly, the squad has a little more depth thanks to players like Dana Evans. They still have a shot to win, though, because Chicago has a number of formidable competitors vying to be among the starting lineup. From one end of the court to the other, Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reeses are flawless players. Chi can benefit much from the 2024 NCAA champion’s height and frame in the paint. In addition, she has recently discovered comfort with long-range shots and is an outstanding scorer on the front court.
View this post on Instagram
Conversely, there is a strong atmosphere about Angel Reese. In college, she was the master of rebounding. She can shatter any opponent with her trash-talking abilities and defensive prowess, but she can also score a lot of points. Fans and Teresa Weatherspoon may anticipate both women to be the team’s leaders in both areas. They will also score 29.2 points apiece every game on average. In accordance with their average collegiate career stats, they will additionally add 20.2 boards to the total.
View this post on Instagram
But Chicago will also need to give them the same amount of floor time as LSU and the Gamecocks in order to accomplish these outcomes. Still, they will undoubtedly bolster the roster with a great deal of strength and depth. The skills of seasoned players like Dana Evans and Kahleah Cooper will undoubtedly help the Sky fly this season.
