CHICAGO — Longtime WNBA fan favorite Dana Evans has stepped up into a consistent role for the Chicago Sky in 2023, improving as an interior scorer and perimeter defender during a transition season for the team.
Evans joined Locked On Women's Basketball to discuss her strong season and how her career led to this point.
“I’ve had some spurts where I’ve shown that I can really compete on this level," Evans told host Howard Megdal. "(Now I’m) just showing different elements of my game because I don’t think I’ve been able to show what I can do.”
After conversations with former head coach and general manager James Wade, Evans was ready to take a step forward in terms of role and performance, especially on offense.
“I was prepared and I was ready for it," Evans said. "You just gotta stay sharp in working on everything, but I think I’ve grown finishing with floaters, getting in the lane and pulling up, just reading the defense more.”
At the same time, she tried to up her defensive intensity at the point of attack as well.
“I want to be on the floor, I want to contribute to this team, and that’s one point I think I can really help this team is being disruptive, not letting people get into sets, and I think that also just creates easy transition points for us," Evans explained.
The season has not been without challenges, however. Multiple star players left the team in the offseason, while Wade stepped away from the team to become an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors midway through the year.
“I’m not used to change," Evans said. "James has been my coach, so that’s what I’ve been used to and I feel like we were developing a really good relationship and everything, but I understand … it was definitely tough.”
Going forward, Evans wants to continue to learn from the stars of the game and mold herself into a balanced talent for Chicago.
“I always used to watch Skylar Diggins (Smith), I love the way she works off the screen," Evans told Megdal. "I like watching Kelsey Plum … if you just steal little pieces from everybody, you can really be a complete player.”