Elle Evans Wins 3 Titles at College 3-Point Championships
On the night of April 3, 2026, Kansas senior Elle Evans walked into Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and made history. Not once, not twice, but three times. In a single electrifying evening at the 37th annual State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships, Evans won the Celsius Women's 3-Point Championship, the Pedigree Team Shootout, and — most remarkably — the Skechers Battle of Champions, defeating the men's 3-point champion in a head-to-head shootout. The performance is reverberating across college basketball just as the sport reaches its highest-profile weekend of the year, and the entire competition airs nationally on ESPN on April 5 at 11 a.m., right before the NCAA Women's Basketball National Championship game.
For fans searching for Elle Evans basketball news right now, this is the story: a quietly elite shooter from Edwardsville, Illinois, capped her college career with one of the most dominant individual performances in the history of this competition.
Who Is Elle Evans? A Kansas Jayhawk Built for This Moment
Elle Evans is a senior wing/guard who spent her final two seasons at the University of Kansas after previously playing two seasons at North Dakota State. She is originally from Edwardsville, Illinois, a town that is now celebrating her as queen of the 3-pointer at the Final Four.
Her numbers at Kansas speak for themselves. In her first season with the Jayhawks (2024-25), Evans averaged 14.4 points per game, shot an impressive 42.1% from three-point range, and drained 69 three-pointers — tied for second in Kansas women's basketball school history. In her final season (2025-26), her scoring average dipped to 8.2 points per game, but her shooting actually improved: she shot 45.3% from beyond the arc and made 68 three-pointers, leading the team in that category across all 36 games she played.
Evans is, in other words, one of the most accurate long-range shooters in college basketball — and the State Farm Championships proved it on the biggest stage possible.
Breaking Down Evans' Historic Triple Victory at Hinkle Fieldhouse
According to KU Athletics, Evans became the first Kansas women's basketball player ever to win all three events in a single night. Here's how each victory unfolded:
Celsius Women's 3-Point Championship
Evans dominated the women's bracket from the start. In the final, she faced Indiana's Shay Ciezki and won convincingly, 22-16. Her mechanics, consistency under pressure, and ability to move through racks at pace without sacrificing accuracy set her apart from the field.
Pedigree Team Shootout
Evans wasn't just elite alone — she proved it in a team format too. She teamed up with Purdue's Fletcher Loyer and Portland State's Jaylin Henderson for the Team Shootout. The trio was so efficient they finished the event with 20.7 seconds still on the clock, an emphatic margin that underscored how lethal Evans and her teammates were from distance.
Skechers Battle of Champions: The Moment That Went Viral
The signature moment of the night came in the Battle of Champions, a head-to-head competition between the women's 3-point champion and the men's 3-point champion. Evans faced CJ Gunn of DePaul, who had won the men's bracket. Gunn put up a remarkable performance — he hit the money ball on every single rack, finishing with a score of 23. That is an exceptionally high score in this format.
Evans matched him shot for shot and finished with 24, winning by a single point. As reported by the Lawrence Journal-World, Evans won the women's 3-point contest and then beat the men's champion — a result that drew immediate widespread attention across college basketball circles.
Why This Performance Is Drawing National Attention
The Battle of Champions result is significant for several reasons. Cross-gender shootout competitions are rare, and it is even rarer for the women's champion to defeat the men's champion outright. CJ Gunn's score of 23 — with money balls on every rack — would win most years. The fact that Evans outscored him speaks to her exceptional form on that night.
As The University Daily Kansan noted, Evans' sweep of all three titles is unprecedented for a Kansas women's basketball player. The timing amplifies everything: the event airs on ESPN on April 5 at 11 a.m., right before the NCAA Women's Basketball National Championship tips off at 2:30 p.m., meaning Evans' performance will be seen by millions of fans already tuned in for championship Sunday.
For a player whose college career just ended — Kansas fell to BYU 70-67 in the WBIT Semifinals on March 30, 2026 — this is an unforgettable final chapter.
Elle Evans' Kansas Career by the Numbers
Evans transferred to Kansas and immediately became one of the program's most reliable offensive weapons. Here's a quick summary of her two-year impact:
- 2024-25 season: 14.4 PPG, 42.1% from three, 69 three-pointers (tied for 2nd in school history)
- 2025-26 season: 8.2 PPG, 45.3% from three, 68 three-pointers, played all 36 games
- Led Kansas in three-point percentage in her final season
- First Jayhawk to win the women's 3-point contest, Team Shootout, and Battle of Champions at the State Farm Championships in the same night
Her Final Four-weekend performance in Indianapolis now stands as the defining highlight of her Kansas tenure, a fitting punctuation mark on a career defined by shooting excellence.
Gear Worn by Elite 3-Point Shooters Like Elle Evans
If Evans' performance has inspired you to sharpen your own three-point shooting, the right gear makes a real difference. Elite shooters train with quality basketballs that replicate game-feel — the Spalding NCAA Basketball is a solid indoor/outdoor option. For footwear, Evans competes in events sponsored by Skechers (the Battle of Champions bears the brand's name), and Skechers basketball shoes have gained visibility through this partnership. Serious shooters also train with tools like a basketball shooting sleeve to maintain form and reduce fatigue during high-volume practice sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions About Elle Evans Basketball
Who is Elle Evans in basketball?
Elle Evans is a college basketball player who completed her senior season at the University of Kansas in 2025-26. A wing/guard from Edwardsville, Illinois, she transferred to Kansas after two seasons at North Dakota State. She is known as one of the most accurate three-point shooters in college basketball.
What did Elle Evans win at the 2026 State Farm College Championships?
Evans won three titles on April 3, 2026: the Celsius Women's 3-Point Championship, the Pedigree Team Shootout (alongside Fletcher Loyer and Jaylin Henderson), and the Skechers Battle of Champions, where she defeated DePaul's CJ Gunn 24-23.
How did Elle Evans beat the men's 3-point champion?
In the Battle of Champions, Evans faced men's winner CJ Gunn of DePaul. Gunn scored 23 points by hitting the money ball on every rack — an excellent score. Evans edged him 24-23, winning by a single point in what became one of the most-discussed moments of Final Four weekend.
Where can I watch Elle Evans' 3-point championship performance?
The 37th annual State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships airs nationally on ESPN on Sunday, April 5, 2026, at 11 a.m. ET, ahead of the NCAA Women's Basketball National Championship at 2:30 p.m.
What are Elle Evans' college basketball statistics?
In her first Kansas season (2024-25), Evans averaged 14.4 points per game and shot 42.1% from three with 69 made threes. In her final season (2025-26), she averaged 8.2 points, shot 45.3% from three, and made 68 three-pointers across all 36 games.
Conclusion: A Perfect Ending to a Remarkable Career
Elle Evans entered the 37th annual State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships as one of the best shooters in college basketball. She left as its undisputed champion — three times over. By defeating men's winner CJ Gunn in the Battle of Champions, she produced a moment that transcends the competition itself, one that will be replayed and referenced for years as an example of what elite shooting looks like regardless of gender.
Her Kansas career ends with numbers that place her among the program's all-time greats from distance, and her final public appearance as a Jayhawk will be broadcast to millions of viewers on ESPN on championship Sunday. For a shooter who spent two years building toward this level of excellence, the timing could not have been more perfect.
Keep an eye on the ESPN broadcast on April 5 — and remember the name Elle Evans, because you are going to hear it again when the next level of her basketball journey begins.
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Sources
- queen of the 3-pointer at the Final Four msn.com
- KU Athletics kuathletics.com
- reported by the Lawrence Journal-World www2.ljworld.com
- The University Daily Kansan kansan.com
- Final Four-weekend performance in Indianapolis msn.com