Here are ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike’s must-haves for her March Madness journey

Before she ever steps courtside, ESPN basketball analyst Chiney Ogwumike makes certain her bag is filled with intention — equal components preparation, wellness and sentimentality.

At the middle of her bag is her appointment e book, a day by day important that retains her broadcast schedule, journey and private life in sync in the course of the chaos of March Madness.

To keep wholesome on the highway, she additionally carries Thorne nutritional vitamins, in addition to a easy lacrosse ball that doubles as her go-to restoration instrument, serving to her work by means of tight muscle groups between lengthy journey days and manufacturing conferences.

Her iPad is the place the analyst work occurs; it’s crammed with notes, stats and breakdowns she references on air. She additionally makes use of it to make amends for her favourite TV reveals.

“If you know me, I love television shows. I am looking forward to the latest season of Outlander. I also am currently watching The Pitt,” Ogwumike stated. “[If] it’s a good TV show, I’m on it. Paradise is back. I watch everything and anything.”

She is also dedicated to her New Year’s decision of studying extra. A proud Houston native, Ogwumike is diving into books tied to house – Basketball Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon’s biography “Dream: The Life and Legacy of Hakeem Olajuwon” and Tina Knowles’ memoir “Matriarch.”

When it’s time for her last TV hit of the night time, Ogwumike reaches into her bag for her signature anti-glare glasses. She loves sporting them to guard her eyes whereas watching LED TV and pc screens, however they’re additionally a nod to “Nerd Nation” at her alma mater, Stanford University. She credit her good friend and fellow ESPN basketball analyst Monica McNutt for placing her on to how you can use the glasses to her benefit for late-night broadcasts.

“I don’t want to gatekeep this for any broadcast girly out there. … [Monica said] if you put on some glasses and make sure your hair is all right and you put on some gloss, people won’t know you’re not wearing makeup when you’re working from home,” Ogwumike stated. “So any time you see me on air with glasses, that’s because I was just lying on my couch watching the game. They call me up, and so far it’s held me down.”

However, probably the most significant merchandise in her bag is a Bible along with her full title inscribed on the entrance. A present from her dad and mom when she left for school, the Bible options handwritten notes from every of her sisters — Nneka, Erica and Olivia — providing encouragement she nonetheless leans on immediately.

Tucked fastidiously inside her bag is one in all her most sentimental objects: a small statue her dad and mom gave her referred to as “Courageous Joy.” It’s a tribute to her full title, Chinenye Joy, which means “God gives joy,” a reminder she carries along with her wherever the sport takes her.

“When I was feeling weak, they gave me this, and I keep it by my bed at night. Anytime I leave home, I bring it and I throw it in my bag,” Ogwumike stated. “It simply jogs my memory that even within the face of challenges that life has, it takes braveness to be joyful. It’s not straightforward to decide on the sunshine, the positivity.

“When they go low, you know, you go high. It takes courage to keep your head up through very difficult situations. This is a reminder of my backbone, which is my family [and] my great group of friends.”