With 2:29 left in the first quarter on Sunday, the Las Vegas Aces trailed the Indiana Fever 20-14. After a timeout, the Aces subbed in Dana Evans. As public address announcer Chet Buchanan announced her return, fans rose from their seats in applause and cheers. This was Evans’ first game back after suffering an injury during her Unrivaled season.
Evans played a critical role in the Aces’ championship run last season. Coming off the bench, Evans averaged 6.6 points per game, 1.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. She provided a critical spark that could help change the momentum of games, leading head coach Becky Hammon to call Evans a “firecracker” for her energy.
“It feels so good to be back,” Evans said. “I’m so blessed to be back out there with my teammates. It feels like it’s been two years. It feels like I haven’t played basketball in forever, but it feels good. I’m just still trying to get in the flow of things and kind of get my rhythm and my legs back under me. It’s different. It’s a different game.”
While playing in Unrivaled during the offseason, Evans suffered a left leg injury. She sat out the rest of the Unrivaled season and the first half of the 2026 WNBA season. Throughout the season, she’s been giving her support and her voice from the bench, seeing the game through a different lens.
“I would say my spark so far this season has just been my voice and just being a leader off the court and just being able to help and be that other coach,” Evans told The IX Sports. “I feel like being able to watch the game from a different lens, not being able to play the game for half of this season, I feel like the game has slowed down for me. I feel like just being able to use what I’ve been learning and watching and applying it and helping my teammates out as well.”
To have Evans back is critical for this Aces squad. Not only does she bring that juice and speed, but she brings a breath of fresh air and excitement to the court that makes her teammates enjoy playing with her.
“That’s one of the best sparks, best energy players, best spark players that we have on our roster,” veteran Cheyenne Parker-Tyus told The IX Sports. “[I’m] super excited to have her back. She brings energy, whether she’s on the sideline or on the court. Now that she’s dressed out, it’s just a whole new notch and fresh air.”
In her season debut, Evans came off the bench, recording 8 points, two rebounds and an assist. She went two-for-two in free throws and hit two critical 3-pointers. Fans erupted in applause as Evans hit those baskets.
“I mean, Indiana is a tough game to come back,” Hammon told The IX Sports. “You know, she’s still trying to find a room. She hasn’t played five-on-five in a very long time since last year. You know, she had a couple stints in Unrivaled, but that’s three-on-three. It’s a different game. So, just trying to get her back and get her rhythm back. The quicker we can acclimate her, the better for us.”
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Considering the circumstances, Evans’s energy is still high. Her energy brought a shift to that Fever matchup, and it didn’t go unnoticed. That energy shift remains the expectation for her, whether it’s from Hammon, Parker-Tyus, the rest of her team, or herself.
“I just need her to be Dana,” Hammon told The IX Sports. “That’s it. She’s that fire coming in off the bench, picking up 94 feet. I don’t think she’s quite there yet, but that’s the goal is to get her being that juice and that disruptor defensively, somebody who can knock down threes, and get us into stuff offensively.”
After that matchup against the Fever, the Aces started their week-long break before their first matchup against the Toronto Tempo on July 20. In addition to their practice schedule, Evans and other Aces players, including NaLyssa Smith, Justine Pissott, Janiah Barker, and Parker-Tyus, participated in Flavor Flav’s She Weekend parade on a custom Aces float.
Whether it’s on the bench or on the court, there’s no doubt from this Aces squad that Evans will bring the energy and the hype. From throwing t-shirts at the She Weekend parade to hitting critical 3-pointers, Evans plans on bringing that “firecracker” energy to the team, no matter what.
“That’s my little firecracker for sure,” Parker-Tyus said.
