Archbishop Wood’s Deja Evans, an Albany commit, thrives on the pressure and the big moments

When Deja Evans arrived at Archbishop Wood last fall, she still had yet to play her first minute of varsity basketball.

Evans had spent her first two high school seasons at Plymouth Whitemarsh, where she played on the junior varsity team. As she prepared for her first season at the varsity level, Evans felt some initial pressure.

“Now, I’m coming into a program where I have to be like a big part of the team,” Evans said.

Those nerves didn’t last long, however, and Evans quickly integrated with the Vikings’ roster. Wood runs workouts throughout the fall, and Evans had the opportunity to start playing with the team right away.

That time in the fall proved especially useful for Evans, as it allowed her to start to establish a rapport with her new teammates. It also allowed Vikings coach Mike McDonald to see exactly the kind of impact Evans could have on the court.

» READ MORE: Archbishop Wood star Ryanne Allen always looks to improve as she heads to Vanderbilt

“She had time in the fall to get a little more comfortable playing under me and playing with the other girls,” McDonald said. “She was good from the beginning. She was obviously something we didn’t have a lot of being that she’s 6-foot-2. … She gives us something we really need on both ends of the floor being at that size.”

Evans hadn’t arrived at Wood as a total stranger. One of her teammates on the Philadelphia Belles BlueStar National Team is Wood wing Delaney Finnegan. It was Finnegan, along with some of Wood’s senior leaders like Ryanne Allen and Bri Bowen, that helped Evans feel comfortable with her new team.

“All the girls on the team were very welcoming, and a lot of the girls took me under their wings and helped me learn the plays and all that,” Evans said. “It was very fun playing with them.”

Once Evans settled into her new program, she started making her presence felt on the court. On defense, Evans could both protect the paint as a shot blocker, as well as clean the glass. Her impact wasn’t limited to the paint, however, as she also proved mobile enough to come out to the perimeter and guard the wings.

Evans also displayed the selfless brand of basketball that Belles coach Michael Steidle cites as one of Evans’ best skills. She demonstrated an ability to find open teammates and spread the ball effectively on offense.

“She has an uncanny ability to, when the ball comes into her in the paint, to find her teammates when they relocate and kick the ball back out,” Steidle said.

That skill proved especially useful on a Wood roster that featured no shortage of playmakers, including Division I recruits in Allen and Bowen.

As Evans grew more comfortable in Wood’s system, her impact on the court continued to grow. As the Vikings got deeper into Philadelphia Catholic League play, McDonald saw Evans start to thrive on the pressure and the big moments.

When the Vikings reached the PIAA Class 4A tournament, Evans kicked off a streak of five consecutive double-doubles that culminated in a record-setting 20-rebound performance in the state title game. Her postseason breakout earned her Class 4A all-state third-team honors. Key in Evans’ performance was her ability to remain locked in on the big stage.

“It was really exciting, that state run,” Evans said. “It’s an indescribable feeling when you can win and actually get to the state championship. When we got to the big stage, you just had to calm your nerves.”

That state title run was a glimpse of how McDonald sees Evans impacting Archbishop Wood next season. With Allen at Vanderbilt and Bowen at Delaware, Evans will be looked to as a leader. Despite entering just her second season in the program, Evans was unanimously named captain by her teammates.

In addition to preparing for her senior season, Evans locked in her basketball future this summer when she committed to play for Albany. The Great Danes were the first team to give Evans an offer last August. Albany also maintained a relationship with Evans through her commitment on June 16. That continued effort led Evans to use Albany as a reference point for other offers that came in.

“They showed me that they love me,” Evans said. “They put it all on the table for me.”

For Evans and her family, the Albany commitment was a full-circle moment. Evans comes from a basketball household; her father, Chris, played in high school, and Deja wears the same No. 11 that Chris wore. Her oldest brother, Chris, played collegiality at Chestnut Hill and is Deja’s trainer. Getting the chance to see Evans play at the college level is something that’s still sinking in for her family.

“Watching her go to Albany, I’m pretty much going to try to be there all the time, even though it’s like three-and-a-half, four hours away,” Chris Evans Sr. said. “When her and I talk about it, I get excited. We’re like ‘this is going down, this is happening.’ ”