Dana Evans

Classroom

Dana Evans’ successes in the classroom are just as impressive as her accolades on the court. She will graduate this spring with a major in sport administration and carries a 3.46 cumulative. She earned a 3.72 GPA in the Fall 2020.

Evans was a member of the All-ACC Academic Team in both 2018-19 and 2019-20 and has been named to the ACC Honor Roll all three years. She is a five-time Dean’s List honoree, three-year Red & Black Scholar Athlete, and six-time Athletic Director’s Honor Roll selection.

Character

A highly touted recruit out of Gary, Ind., Evans has progressed steadily throughout her career and has willingly done everything the coaching staff has asked. She came off the bench her freshman and sophomore years before being named ACC Player of the Year as a junior.

Although she is one of the most talented players in the country, Evans is as genuine a person you will meet in college basketball. She is grateful for her coaches, teammates, family, friends and support staff, and consistently shows appreciation to those around her. The lone senior on this year’s team, Evans has embraced her role as a leader. She has thrived in that role during a challenging season amid the pandemic that demands leadership not just from the coaching staff, but from upperclassmen.

In the record-setting 116-75 win over No. 20 DePaul, Evans led the way with 20 points and seven assists. But, following the game it was freshman Olivia Cochran that she was most excited about. Cochran finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds for her first career double-double and Evans was quick to notify the women’s basketball social media team and make sure it was recognized.

Head coach Jeff Walz credits her competitiveness for her success on the court and in the classroom, “When Dana puts her mind to something, she’s able to conquer it.” She loves communicating with fans, especially children, and prior to the pandemic, signed autographs after every home game.

Community

Evans participated in over 48 total hours of community service at 24 different event prior to the pandemic.

She has worked with Splash n’ Dash 5K Walk/Run for Norton Children’s Hospital, Central Park Improvement Day with the Old Louisville Neighborhood Council, participated in pen pal letters with the West End School, Sister Circle with Grace James Academy for Excellence and Team Inspire. Evans’ primary community service commitment is participating in after school activities at the Parkland Boys & Girls Club.

Competition

Prior to the 2020-21 season, Evans was named ACC Preseason Player of the Year and one of five Associated Press preseason All-Americans. She has helped lead Louisville to a 5-0 record and a No. 2 ranking in the Associated Press and USA Today polls and leads the ACC with 21.0 points per game and ranks third with 4.6 assists per game.

She was named WBCA first team All-American as a junior, becoming just the third player in program history to earn that honor, joining Angel McCoughtry and Asia Durr. Evans was also named AP second team All-American, USBWA second team All-American, Wooden Award National Ballot, Dawn Staley Midseason Watch List, Naismith Trophy Semifinalist and Ann Meyers Drysdale Finalist.

Evans was also named ACC Player of the Year as a junior, becoming the first player in ACC history to go from Sixth Player of the Year to ACC Player of the Year the next season. Leading the ACC and ranking 12th in the country with 90 made 3-pointers, Evans also ranked third in the league with 18.0 points per game. Evans led the league and ranked 10th in the NCAA with an 89.0 free throw percentage and ranked eighth in the ACC with 4.2 assists per game and fourth with a 1.68 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Evans has 16 career 20-point games, including a career-high 28 points in a 69-48 win over Oklahoma State last season. Her 1,218 career points rank 21st in program history and her 161 career made 3-pointers rank 10th in program history.