Dana Evans on Draft Slide: I Feel Motivated, Disrespected
(Photo of Dana Evans: Ethan Hyman via the Atlantic Coast Conference)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Heading into the 2021 WNBA Draft, former Louisville guard Dana Evans was viewed as one of the top guard prospects and top scorers in this year's draft class. She was a consensus top ten draft pick among major mock drafts, with some even having her cracking the top five.
But when the draft started, a completely different scenario unfolded. As WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert approached the podium to announce each pick, Evans' name continued to go unmentioned, to the point where she would eventually fall out of the first round altogether.
Once the first round was officially in the books, fortunately, Evans did not have to wait much longer. The 5-foot-6 guard wound up getting selected by the Dallas Wings with the No. 13 overall pick in the draft - the first pick of the second round.
Upon hearing her name, Evans and her surrounding friends and family were still caught up in the moment, embracing and celebrating a lifelong dream come to fruition. But once the initial elation subsided, she was ready to take her frustrations out on the court.
"I can't even put into words how much it motivates me. I told somebody that I'm ready to just get in the gym tonight," Evans said to media members following the draft. "I kind of feel disrespected, overlooked, but that's just been my career, my path and my journey. That's just my story."
That's not to say Evans was ungrateful. She still called it a "great moment" for herself, and a "dream come true regardless of what number I went."
"I'm super excited for the opportunity. I thank Dallas for taking a chance on me and picking me," she said. "I think that's huge, and I'm excited to help in any way I can."
The Gary, Ind. native is one of several newcomers for the Wings, as Dallas also had three of the first five picks in the draft - including the top two. It will be an uphill battle for her to crack the 12-player roster, as the Wings currently sport 14 players following Thursday night's draft.
"My intensity, my will to work, my will to win in any drill or scrimmage or game makes me stand out," Evans said when asked what will make her stand out in training camp. "Just being a presence on the floor, being a pest on the offensive and defensive end and just doing what I do best. Stick to what I've been doing. It's been working for me."
That being said, she is already viewed in high regard among the Dallas brass. After picking her up, Wings President and CEO Greg Bibb went as far to call Evans "the steal of the draft".
“She’s a top-five player talent-wise in my mind," he said. "While we weren’t necessarily looking for a point guard coming in, it wasn’t necessarily a priority when you have an opportunity to draft a player as talented as Dana Evans in the second round you don’t hesitate. You take that opportunity and run with it.”
Training camp across the WNBA is scheduled to begin on Apr. 25, with the final roster cut-down date set for May 13 at 5:00 p.m. EST. The season will begin the next day on May 14.
In 30 games during her senior season, Evans averaged 20.1 points, which led the Atlantic Coast Conference, as well as 3.9 assists with a 43.0% field goal percentage and 35.3% mark on three-point attempts.
During her four-year career at Louisville, she accumulated 1,715 points, 521 assists, a three-point shooting mark of 37.7% and a 122-15 record. The wins total is a program-best, the assist and shooting marks are good for sixth-best, and the scoring ranks ninth.
Evans departs Louisville not only as one of the top players in school history, but one of the most decorated. She is a two-time ACC Player of the Year, and is one of three Cardinals to ever be named a First Team AP All-American (Angel McCoughtry, Asia Durr).
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