As the WNBA Finals take center stage with the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries competing for the title, the conversation around elite athletic performance extends far beyond the hardwood. Behind every high-octane performance, grueling road trip, and post-game recovery session is a precise operational engine—and in Dallas, that engine runs through the kitchen.
Enter Manwell McLean, known globally across sports and entertainment as Chef Hoppie. Serving as the Sports Performance Chef for the WNBA’s Dallas Wings—the sole WNBA franchise in Texas—Chef Hoppie is pioneering a cultural shift in how professional athletes approach fueling.
Beyond the WNBA: Multi-Disciplinary Culinary Impact
Long before setting up shop at the Dallas Wings’ training facility, Chef Hoppie established himself as a premier culinary force across elite sports, luxury lifestyle and entertainment networks. He first built a national reputation as the go-to personal chef for marquee NFL stars—including Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott and CeeDee Lamb—by masterfully transforming strict, performance-driven athletic nutrition into restaurant-grade culinary experiences.
His influence extends well beyond the private kitchen into the broader cultural landscape. Through innovative ventures like Elevated Eats and Expensive Taste, McLean seamlessly blends high-end culinary arts with hip-hop culture, digital media and athlete lifestyle branding.
Parallel to his work with high-profile clients, he consistently leverages his platform to mentor aspiring culinary talent and demonstrate how practical nutritional education can elevate athletic performance within urban sports communities.
Scoop B Exclusive Q&A: In the Kitchen with Chef Hoppie
Now, bringing that expansive, multi-disciplinary background into the WNBA, Chef Hoppie is proving that top-tier sports performance nutrition can feel like an exclusive luxury perk rather than a rigid, everyday chore.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: You’re currently serving as the Sports Performance Chef for the Dallas Wings—the only WNBA team in the Lone Star State. How do you tailor your menus to handle the grueling physical demands, fast-paced travel, and recovery needs of top-tier WNBA athletes over the course of a season?
Chef Hoppie: The biggest thing is making something that the players will enjoy for starters. I’m coming into the position well versed on athletes’ feelings towards food at team facilities so the first step is making menus that the players will enjoy and immediately after is how and when are we fueling and making adjustments on that. More carbs here, more protein there, lighter menu on recovery days etc. It all factors in.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Through platforms like Elevated Eats and Expensive Taste, you’re blending high-performance sports nutrition with culture and lifestyle. How do you make peak-performance fueling feel like a luxury experience rather than a strict, boring diet for these athletes?
Chef Hoppie: It’s all about expanding the ladies’ pallets. Some foods, they haven’t been exposed to or never liked until I made it — all of that goes into that luxury experience because now it’s something you only eat when you come to work or using the table as motivation. Also I find creative ways to manipulate the food so that it is beneficial and tasteful.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Elite athletes often have very specific game-day rituals and stomach sensitivities before taking the court. What does a typical pre-game meal look like for the Wings and what are the non-negotiables you focus on post-game for quick muscle recovery?
Chef Hoppie: For pregame I handle post shootaround, so think breakfast. For that, my goal is to get some carbs in them to get rolling for game time. Post shootaround the focus is high protein for muscle recovery and of course the team has them focusing on hydration.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Historically, sports nutrition has been seen as plain chicken, rice and broccoli. What are some of the most surprising ingredients, flavor profiles, or traditional comfort dishes you’ve revamped to fit high-performance nutritional standards without sacrificing taste?
Chef Hoppie: A big thing for me right now that I’m having a lot of fun with is replacing dairy (creams and milks) with coconut Milk and Cream. It doesn’t venture too far away but adds a flavorful twist while still helping prevent inflammation and add flavor.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: Food is deeply tied to culture, community and energy in sports. How has your culinary presence impacted the team dynamic and locker room culture in Dallas throughout the season?
Chef Hoppie: From my point of view, I think it has made a big impact. The way the players started to rally and get excited for what’s on the menu and what’s to come. If you look at my socials, you’ll see the ladies partaking in review videos and starting to have fun with what is fueling them but also with who is fueling them, seems that we all just vibed off bat and really started to Build a Championship Table.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: You’re actively carving out a new space where food, sports performance and lifestyle media intersect. Where do you see the role of the personal and team sports performance chef evolving over the next 5 to 10 years across professional leagues?
Chef Hoppie: It’s interesting to see if what myself and the Dallas Wings are doing will become something widespread across sports teams or if we will remain unique in our own ways. However, what we do know is that a Celebrity Chef and a Professional Team have never taken this approach to fueling their athletes but I’m excited to see how many barriers we knock down and the trails we blaze for this conversation to be a new highlight in sports.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: When the players have a rare day off or want to celebrate a big win, what is the single most requested dish you make for them that always disappears off the table first?
Chef Hoppie: L A M B – C H O P S. I knew coming into the season, I wanted to find that one thing that was a staple or celebratory meal but was also viewed as a “treat” and for us this season it was my Honey Glazed Lamb Chops.
Closing Thoughts: The Future of Sports Performance Fueling
What Chef Hoppie and the Dallas Wings are cultivating in Texas extends far beyond mere meal prep—it represents a fundamental evolution in how professional sports organizations care for their most valuable assets.
By pairing high-level nutritional science with genuine cultural resonance, Hoppie has transformed the team dining table into an epicenter for recovery, camaraderie and team identity.
As professional leagues increasingly recognize that peak athletic longevity begins with elite daily input, the traditional boundaries of team catering are rapidly disappearing. Manwell McLean’s work with the Wings offers a compelling blueprint for the modern sports chef: an expert who not only fuels world-class athletes to perform at their physical peak, but actively enriches team culture one plate at a time.
