In a recent interview with The Hoop Herald, Chef Hoppie sat down to discuss a variety of different topics. He touched on his new position with the Dallas Wings, which he started in February of this year, and how he would be doing his part to help prepare and implement his vision as a performance chef.
“The biggest thing before I even buy groceries is understanding the natural reaction food causes to the body in good ways or not the best. Paying attention to what will cause/help inflammation, what speeds up recovery, what hydrates, boosts energy, all of that,” said Hoppie.
“I’ve been blessed to be in sports my whole life, in some form or fashion, so I’ve collected knowledge from some of the best athletes in the world and tapped into my resources. I have a lot of credit to give to Ann Claiborne, Lindsey Salwasser, and Jacqueline Wood, who are all Sports Performance Dietitians and Coaches but are also women in sports who very clearly understand the difference between fueling men and women and how to get both to perform at high levels. They’ve poured a lot of knowledge into me.”
Four-time WNBA All-Star Arike Ogunbowale is the longest-tenured player on this Wings team and is currently in her seventh season in the WNBA. She is also the Wings’ All-time leading scorer, a record that she secured last September by surpassing Deanna "Tweety" Nolan.
Ogunbowale recently shared how he helps get her prepared for games and practice.
“Yeah, Chef Hoppie is one of the best chefs in Dallas. He gets us right for home games, practices, shootarounds, post-game, and they’re always delicious,” said Ogunbowale after Sunday’s shootaround at the American Airlines Center.
“He always asks us what we're feeling for the week, and he's just a great chef. I use him in the off-season too, so he's really good.”
“Arike has set the tone on and off the court. She is a true vet and a certified dawg; our work in the offseason showed me how serious and professional she is when it comes time to her prep and body – As you can see with an unrivaled and overseas championship,” said Hoppie.
“But that carries over to how I perform in the kitchen and how I set the table. My slogan for this new pillar within the organization is “Building a Championship Table,” and that starts way before the first jump ball before the season. Chefs are athletes and cooking is a sport, so please believe I’m working and grinding just like 2 4.”
Ogunbowale wasn’t the only Dallas Wings guard to speak about how Hoppie’s part of their game-day routine. Twelve-year veteran Odyssey Sims also chimed in, sharing that Hoppie is amazing.
“He does a great job of making sure that we eat healthy. Of course, I mean, he's amazing. I love him,” said Sims.
“Being able to make sure he watches what we eat, making sure it's healthy, but also giving us different options, that's definitely huge for us.”
This season, the Wings' Sims is averaging 5.5 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists off the bench.
