Dana Evans: Louisville Prepared Me for the WNBA

The former star for the Cardinals is having a seamless transition to the pros, and she credits her time at Louisville.

(Photo of Dana Evans: © Kirby Lee - USA TODAY Sports)

DALLAS - For many athletes, making the jump from the collegiate ranks to the professional level can be a daunting task. Between a new organization, new teammates, as well as an overall jump in the talent of your competition, sometimes there is not always a seamless transition for rookies.

But for former Louisville women's basketball guard Dana Evans, who is currently in her first training camp after being selected by the Dallas Wings with the No. 13 overall pick in last month's WNBA Draft, that is not the case so far. Though she is early in her professional career, she is handling the jump from college to the pros well, and she is credits Louisville for it.

"I really think Louisville has prepared me for this moment, in so many different ways," Evans said Wednesday during the Wings' 2021 Media Day. "I've been prepared, and I've been just trying to enjoy the game and have fun, and just soak it in - because this is a dream come true, and I'm playing the game that I love."

Evans says that one aspect that Louisville has prepared her for is the increased physicality at the next level. She specifically credits sports performance coach Kaitlynn Jones for preparing her in the weight room, and so far in training camp, the only physical aspect she believes needs to improve upon is fighting through screens.

"I feel like I'm able to take a bump, get to where I want to get to," she said. "On the defensive side as well, I can kind of bug them and get to where I need to get to as well. I would say it's translated, pretty good for me so far."

If anything, Evans believes that now that she is able to focus solely on basketball, it can give her an advantage due to her competitive nature. Instead of having to go through schoolwork and all the other aspects of college that can occupy a student-athlete's time, she can narrow her focus to honing her craft on the court.

"Pretty much all you really got to do is come do your job, get the job done, and you go home and go about your day, whereas college was a lot more busier I would say," she said.

The Wings have a single game this preseason, a contest with the Connecticut Sun on Saturday, May 8 at 1:00 p.m. EST. The final roster cut-down date is set for Thursday, May 13 at 5:00 p.m. EST, with the season beginning the next day.

In 30 games during her senior season, the 5-foot-6 guard 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. She was named the ACC Player of the Year for a second consecutive season, and became just the third Cardinal to be named a First Team AP All-American.

During her four-year career at Louisville, the Gary, Ind. native 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.

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