{"id":942649,"date":"2026-07-18T05:03:38","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T05:03:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/942649\/"},"modified":"2026-07-18T05:03:38","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T05:03:38","slug":"las-vegas-aces-are-excited-to-have-firecracker-dana-evans-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/942649\/","title":{"rendered":"Las Vegas Aces are excited to have ‘firecracker’ Dana Evans back"},"content":{"rendered":"

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<\/a>. As public address announcer Chet Buchanan announced her return, fans rose from their seats in applause and cheers. This was Evans\u2019 first game back after suffering an injury during her Unrivaled season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Evans played a critical role in the Aces\u2019 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<\/a> to call Evans a \u201cfirecracker\u201d for her energy.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels so good to be back,\u201d Evans said. \u201cI\u2019m so blessed to be back out there with my teammates. It feels like it\u2019s been two years. It feels like I haven\u2019t played basketball in forever, but it feels good. I\u2019m just still trying to get in the flow of things and kind of get my rhythm and my legs back under me. It\u2019s different. It\u2019s a different game.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u2019s been giving her support and her voice from the bench, seeing the game through a different lens.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI 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,\u201d Evans told The IX Sports. \u201cI 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\u2019ve been learning and watching and applying it and helping my teammates out as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s one of the best sparks, best energy players, best spark players that we have on our roster,\u201d veteran Cheyenne Parker-Tyus<\/a> told The IX Sports. \u201c[I\u2019m] super excited to have her back. She brings energy, whether she\u2019s on the sideline or on the court. Now that she\u2019s dressed out, it\u2019s just a whole new notch and fresh air.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, Indiana is a tough game to come back,\u201d Hammon told The IX Sports. \u201cYou know, she\u2019s still trying to find a room. She hasn\u2019t played five-on-five in a very long time since last year. You know, she had a couple stints in Unrivaled, but that\u2019s three-on-three. It\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Listen now to The IX Sports Podcast and Women\u2019s Sports Daily<\/strong>
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Considering the circumstances, Evans\u2019s energy is still high. Her energy brought a shift to that Fever matchup, and it didn\u2019t go unnoticed. That energy shift remains the expectation for her,\u00a0whether it\u2019s from Hammon, Parker-Tyus, the rest of her team, or herself.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI just need her to be Dana,\u201d Hammon told The IX Sports. \u201cThat\u2019s it. She\u2019s that fire coming in off the bench, picking up 94 feet. I don\u2019t think she\u2019s quite there yet, but that\u2019s 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.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

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<\/a>, Justine Pissott, Janiah Barker<\/a>, and Parker-Tyus, participated in Flavor Flav\u2019s She Weekend parade on a custom Aces float.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s on the bench or on the court, there\u2019s 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 \u201cfirecracker\u201d energy to the team, no matter what.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s my little firecracker for sure,\u201d Parker-Tyus said.<\/p>\n

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