Dana Evans Is Building Her Style One Sneaker, Suit and Statement Bag at a Time

For Dana Evans, sneakers have always been personal.

The WNBA guard has been a sneakerhead since childhood, an interest she credits in part to her father, but her relationship with footwear has evolved considerably since becoming a professional athlete. Now, shoes are not only part of her game; they are a way to tell her story.

That is particularly true of the player-exclusive sneakers she has created with Jordan Brand.

“First of all, this is like the coolest thing for me,” Evans told Footwear Magazine. “I love creating shoes and really diving into that because my favorite thing about Jordan is they let you tell your story behind it, and it’s personal.”

Last year, that meant an Apple Jacks-inspired design referencing her favorite childhood cereal. For her latest Jason Tatum player exclusive, Evans went in an entirely different direction, looking to championship hardware for inspiration.

“I wanted the shoe to look like the trophy — really shiny, really bright,” she said.

The resulting design takes on a metallic finish with gold incorporated into the “0” referencing Tatum’s jersey number. But the most personal detail sits inside the shoe: “From Gary to Glory,” a phrase Evans uses to remember where she started.

“It’s basically a slogan for me to continue to remind myself where I came from and how far I made it and just how blessed I am to be here,” she said.

A Sneakerhead Long Before the WNBA

Evans’ sneaker collection stretches well beyond what she wears on court.

“I love shoes, and I’ve always been a sneakerhead,” she said.

Her own PEs naturally rank among the rarest pairs in her collection, while Travis Scott sneakers remain personal favorites. There is still one pair she has been trying to add: the Fragment x Travis Scott Air Jordan 1.

Much of Evans’ collection is currently stored at her parents’ house, where years of collecting have resulted in more sneakers than she can immediately account for.

“I have so many shoes,” she said. “Most of my shoes are still at my parents’ house. I just stocked a lot of them there.”

Dana Evans Is Finding Her Fashion Identity

The same willingness to experiment that Evans brings to footwear is increasingly showing up in her wardrobe.

When she first entered the WNBA, Evans approached fashion more cautiously. Now, she is much more interested in experimenting with silhouettes, color and unexpected combinations.

“When I first stepped into the league, I wanted to play it safe, just not really step outside the box,” she said. “But now I’m getting into different looks.”

Baggy jeans, in particular, have taken over her wardrobe — a major shift considering she says she didn’t own a single pair when she first entered the league.

“Now that’s all I wear,” she said. “I barely have any fitted jeans now.”

Like a stylist, her formula often begins with one standout item. Baggy jeans might be paired with a crop top and a colorful handbag, while a suit can become the foundation for something more playful.

“I always have to have a cute piece, and then I kind of play off of that,” Evans said.

Luxury, Vintage and the Athlete Wardrobe

Evans is also steadily building out her luxury handbag collection, with a mix of classic pieces and vintage finds that reflect her increasingly defined personal style.

Louis Vuitton was where the collection started. Her first luxury handbag after turning pro was an Alma, which she initially purchased in brown before exchanging it for the monogram version. Chanel has since become another fixture in her closet, particularly the house’s classic flap bags, while Louis Vuitton’s multicolor monogram remains a favorite.

As her collection has grown, Evans has started looking beyond the most recognizable styles and searching for pieces that feel a little harder to find.

“I’ve been loving the vintage bags, going into the vintage stores, looking for different bags that you don’t normally see or see with people,” she said.

Rebag and What Goes Around Comes Around are among her favorite places to hunt for resale and vintage pieces, and that collector mentality is beginning to influence the rest of her wardrobe, too. She gravitates toward pieces that feel distinctive, from distressed, oversized denim to unexpected silhouettes.

“I like to just get different ones,” she said.

That same instinct has led her to brands such as Alfred Eden, where she has been drawn to the label’s unconventional denim, flannel, corset and cropped silhouettes, as well as Naked Wardrobe, which has become a go-to for suits.

Styling Herself Through the WNBA Tunnel

Perhaps most notable is that Evans has built this fashion identity without a stylist.

“I’ve never worked with a stylist. I always style myself,” she said. “I look at inspo and just kind of see what I think will look good on me and just try different things.”

That independence has allowed her personal taste to develop organically, although the demands of an increasingly visible WNBA fashion landscape are beginning to make professional styling more appealing.

Putting together a new look for every game takes time, particularly while balancing travel, practices and the actual job of playing professional basketball.

“Honestly, it is a lot of work,” Evans said. “Getting looks together for every game...you want to make sure that you’re focused on the game and you got everything in order.”

Until then, Evans is doing it herself.

From Jordan PEs to Chanel

Footwear is where Evans’ two style worlds really come together. Her Jordan PEs are bold and deeply personal, while off court, she brings that same instinct for color, individuality and statement-making into the way she dresses.

For Evans, finding her style has not meant settling on a single aesthetic. It has meant becoming more comfortable taking chances.

“I like to just be different now,” she said.

And whether that starts with a metallic Jordan PE, an oversized pair of jeans, a pink suit or a statement handbag, Evans has learned to build the rest of the look from there.