Drafted 13th overall by the Dallas Wings, Dana Evans has been a value add ever since her arrival to the pros. As she was traded to the Sky in exchange for Shyla Heal, she also won a WNBA championship with the Sky. However, she’s playing the 2025 season with the LV Aces, who traded her in exchange for the 16th and 22nd picks in the 2025 WNBA Draft.

But the team doesn’t matter—effort does. Evans is continuing her impressive run with LV. She’s averaged 6.6 points with 2.2 assists, but she even put up 14 points in a playoff game versus Indy when the team needed her the most. But it ain’t just her on-court prowess that’s impressive!

What is Dana Evans’ Ethnicity?

Dana Kiana Evans, or Dana Evans, is an African-American professional basketball player for the LV Aces. Born to Damon and Shwanda Evans on August 1, 1998, she was raised in Gary, Indiana. Unlike those with an athletic background, not much is known about her parents.

She got into basketball in fourth grade, and when she did, she immediately picked it up. She was known for her defensive skills, which even caught the eye of Valparaiso head coach Keith Freeman in the sixth grade. He offered her the chance to play college basketball. From then on, she seemed unstoppable. She became the first girl from Gary to make it to the McDonald’s All-American Game. As her game got the deserved spotlight, she moved on to collegiate basketball and then to the pros. But through it all, one thing helped her the most—her religion.

What is Dana Evans’ Religion?

While there isn’t much information available about her religious or faith background, it’s clear she believes in God. Even when she entered the WNBA Draft’s Day 1, she prayed to God to get picked while her parents and other loved ones supported her.

And the prayer was heard. After long anticipation and overdue calls from the Dallas Wings, she was picked 13th overall. While she slipped a few spots down from the boards, the moment was still a dream come true for her. As she admitted in an interview with SLAM back in 2021, “That’s something that I dreamed about. Hearing my name being called was something that I’ve always wanted. So it was still something that I look at and thank God for because, like I said, that’s what I worked for my whole life and finally did it.” For her, spirituality is something that has kept her going through every possible hurdle.

What is Dana Evans’ Nationality?

Dana Evans, born in Gary, Indiana, is an American national. Her hometown played a big role in shaping her into the defensive phenom she is today. “Growing up in Gary groomed me into the person I am today… it made me tough, it made me blue collar. It made me appreciate the little things in life as well, not to take anything for granted,” she added in the same interview.

And she didn’t. She became one of the top recruits in college basketball and committed to Louisville. By the time she declared for the pros, she was the fourth consecutive player from the Louisville program to be named the conference’s top player. While she expected her name to be called by the 8th pick at least, even when she was drafted 13th, she didn’t lose hope.

She spent a little over a month on the Wings roster before getting to the Sky. “I think it was the best move for me… Me being close to home, me being able to be backup point guard for Vandersloot and learn from her is huge,” she shared. And yes, it was, as the Windy City presented an opportunity for Evans to thrive—and she did. She played 23 regular-season games while averaging 3.9 points per game.

Though she was traded again earlier in 2025 to the Aces, now she’s once again thriving. She’s averaging 6.6 points with 1.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. So yes, this is how Evans’ on- and off-court life has been a motivation for others.