In an exclusive interview with Dana Evans of the Chicago Sky, we dive into her love for sneakers, what it's like to work with Jordan Brand, and the impact of sneaker culture in the WNBA. Dana reveals to us the creative process behind designing her own PEs (Player Exclusives) and what it was like seeing Jayson Tatum lace them up during the NBA playoffs. The Chicago Sky point guard also spills the tea on her favorite kicks, dishes out some playful shade on her teammates' sneaker choices, and says she's going to sign a pair of PEs and team up with Sole Retriever to give them away!
Meet Dana Evans
Dana Evans hails from Gary, Indiana, where her love for basketball and sneakers began. She played college basketball for the Louisville Cardinals, where she was a two time ACC Player of the Year. Her stellar performance on the court caught the attention of the Chicago Sky, who selected her with the 13th overall pick in the 2021 WNBA Draft. Since joining the WNBA, Dana has made a significant impact with her quickness, scoring ability, and of course - her kicks. Now, as a Jordan Brand athlete, she continues to shine, both in her game and her sneaker game.
Living the Dream with Jordan Brand
Dana describes being a Jordan athlete as a dream come true. "Working with Jordan Brand is something that I've always dreamed of and always wanted to do because I'm a sneakerhead and I love Jordans. Plus, just getting them for free and getting every pair is great, too!" Beyond the perks of free kicks, her signing with JB signifies a deeper connection to a brand that has long been synonymous with excellence in both performance and style, mirroring Dana's own journey in the WNBA.
Creating Player Exclusives and Jayson Tatum Wearing Her PE
"The whole PE process is so dope," she tells us. "You get to decide what you want on the shoe, what you want it to represent, and the colorway is all up to you. You give them the ideas and tell them the story you want behind it." She adds that "they [Jordan Brand] show you a pre-draft and then they just tweak everything you like or don't like and then you have your shoe." In game two of this year's NBA Eastern Conference Finals, Jayson Tatum laced up the PE colorway of the Jordan Tatum 2 that Dana designed. "The whole Jayson Tatum thing was dope. I didn't know he was gonna wear them. Seeing him wearing them, especially in a big game in the playoffs, was really cool."
Sneakerhead Origins
Dana's passion for sneakers started long before her WNBA career. She recalls waiting outside stores early in the morning to get the latest releases, guided by her dad's monthly shoe allowance. "He would be like, 'you can get this amount of shoes this month because you've been going crazy.' So I would pick the ones I really really wanted...I remember making my dad come outside with me to wait for the store to open to get the Cool Grey 11s, I'll never forget that!"
On Court Sneaker Choices
"I love changing my shoes, I love different colorways. I love funky colors...I'm actually really big on not matching. I hate matching with the uniform, so I always want to go with bright colors, especially pink - always gotta have some pink in there!" She also talks about how socks influence what she wears: "If I'm wearing white socks, I can wear any shoe. But if I'm wearing black socks, I gotta be selective on what color shoes I'm wearing."
Teammate Sneaker Rankings
When asked about the best and worst sneaker game on her team, the Chicago Sky, Dana confidently names Izzy Harrison as having the best sneaker game, saying "she's Jordan brand so she gets all the cool Jordans that I get." On the flip side, she humorously calls out Marina Mabrey, jokingly telling us, "I'm not a big fan of Under Armour. Sorry, Marina, I love you to death girl, but I gotta go Marina for worst!"
Style Inspirations
"Sue Bird has always had a dope collection. On the mens side, I would say PJ Tucker for sure, he's got all the Kobes. He has a lot of stuff that a lot of people don't have."
Women in Sports and Sneakers
Dana is optimistic about the growing representation of women in sports and the sneaker world. "It's super hot. The women's side of sports is growing a lot right now, and it's the best time to capitalize on everything we can do and everything that we have been doing. It's getting up there, we getting there!" she emphasizes.
Memorable Sneaker Moments
"I feel like whenever I wear my PEs, I play well. Last year, whenever I wore my PEs, I would have a solid game." One of Dana's most memorable on-court experiences was a game last season against Chelsea Gray of the Las Vegas Aces. "I remember wearing my PEs and I ripped Chelsea Grey, which was pretty dope for me because she's one of the best point guards to ever play the game, so I'll never forget that!"
Off Court Sneakers and Style
When it comes to favorite models, Dana's top picks are the Jordan 1s and 11s. She mentions her love for the patent leather red and black Jordan 1s and the iconic Concord 11s. Like most of us, Dana also has a holy grail sneaker that she doesn't yet own. "The Fragment Travis Scotts! I still don't have those and those are probably one of my favorite pairs of shoes...I love all the Travis Scott colorways, and I saw they're coming out with some pink ones so you know I'm ready for those."
Dream Signature Sneaker
Looking ahead, Dana envisions her own signature basketball sneaker resembling a high-top Jordan 1 with funky colors. "When I have a signature shoe, I want it to look like a Jordan 1 with some unique elements and bright colors," she describes.
Player Exclusive Giveaway
“I think it would be super dope if we gave away a signed pair of the Tatums.” Say less, Dana. We’re officially teaming up with Dana Evans to giveaway a signed pair of her exclusive Tatum 2 PE (and . Make sure you’re following us on X and Instagram, and download our Mobile App for your chance to enter when the giveaway goes live.
Massive thank you to Dana and her team for making this interview happen and for teaming up with us to give away a piece of signed sneaker history!
Cole Townsend is a developer, designer, and Head of Tech at Sole Retriever. He does some writing on top of helping keep Sole Retriever running on web and mobile! In his spare time, you can find him out running. Cole was a graduate from Williams College.
