Where Are They Now: Shante Evans, Women's Basketball

Recruited out of Henderson High School in West Chester, Pennsylvania, Shante Evans was a dominant scoring presence on the court for the Hofstra women’s basketball team from 2009 to 2013. While representing the Pride, Evans helped lead Hofstra to two WNIT appearances, including a second-round appearance in the 2009-10 season.

During the 2010-11 season, Shante posted 571 points on 214 field goals and 143 free throws, in addition to 43 steals, 20 assists, and 14 blocks, earning her Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention honors. She would receive another two AP All-America honors in 2011-12 and 2012-13, and she was named First Team All-CAA three consecutive years from 2011 to 2013.

In the 2013 home finale, Evans became the third Hofstra women’s basketball player and the 26th Hofstra student-athlete to have their jersey retired. She remains the only 2,000-point scorer in Hofstra women’s basketball history, and is the program’s all-time leading scorer with 2,116 points and the all-time leading rebounder with 1,348 rebounds.

Following her illustrious career at Hofstra, Evans signed a professional contract with WBC Dunav Ruse of the Bulgarian Women’s Basketball Championship in 2013, and in her first season she helped the team to a league title. She has since played professional basketball in France, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, and Poland, and has won multiple league and cup championships. Evans most recently played for Artego Bydgoszcz of the Basket Liga Kobiet in Poland.

Evans has also played in international basketball competitions, representing Slovenia in the 2017 and 2019 European Women Basketball Championships and Team USA in the 2011 Pan American Games.

What made you decide to attend Hofstra?

At one point during my recruiting process, I was getting 50 letters a day from different schools, and it was really difficult to pick a school based on a letter. At that point, I started going on visits, and that’s how I chose Hofstra. I felt so comfortable on my visit there, especially being with the team and the coaching staff, and with it being only two and a half hours from my family.

What is your favorite memory from playing at Hofstra?

Having my jersey retired was very special and emotional to me. They were setting it up in a way that it was supposed to be a surprise, but I saw them setting things up earlier that day. When they revealed the jersey before the game, I just remember crying and hugging my parents. It was never a goal or a dream of mine to have that happen, so that’s what makes it the most special moment for me at Hofstra.

What has it been like to play professional basketball in Europe?

When I was younger, playing professional basketball was a goal of mine, but I wasn’t aware that playing overseas was an option until college. When I first arrived in Bulgaria, it was eye-opening. It was a complete 180 from what I was used to. Only a few people on the team spoke English, and the town I was staying in was very different from Hempstead and no one spoke English.

Moving from different countries and adapting to new cultures is my favorite part of playing here. It’s something new every year, and it allows me to adapt as a person to any situation. And not many people can say they’ve seen 80% of Europe from playing basketball.

How did competing as a student-athlete at Hofstra prepare you for life after college?

As an American, you have a lot of expectations because Americans are the highest paid on the roster most of the time. So if you’re getting the most money on the team, then you’re going to have to perform even better for your teammates and fans. But I think being in the position of competing at a high level in college consistently and being looked at as a leader has carried me through my professional career overseas.

What does it mean to you to be a part of the Hofstra family?

Being a part of the Hofstra family means a lot to me. I’ve grown into the woman I am because of the experiences I had in college and the countless memories I had with my teammates on and off the court. Also, the tight community we had on campus while I was a student was very special to me.

What is one piece of advice you would give to current Hofstra student-athletes?

I’d say my advice to any student-athlete is to live in the moment because it goes by fast, and to take advantage of your opportunities. For those looking to play professionally, what you did in college doesn’t matter at the next level, so you need to keep proving yourself day after day.