GRWM: Here’s what players are packing for March Madness

Published on March 19, 2025

Headphones. Nutella. And “butt wipes.”

These are some of the items several top women’s college basketball players have in their travel bags. March Madness means several weeks of playing on the road, so these athletes must pack every game-day necessity, from beauty and skin care must-haves to good-luck charms and snacks.

Here’s what key players from South Carolina, Texas, UCLA and UConn will pack in their bags for the NCAA tournament.


An inside look at what South Carolina Gamecocks MiLaysia Fulwiley and Bree Hall pack in their travel bags.

South Carolina: MiLaysia Fulwiley and Bree Hall

Sophomore guard MiLaysia Fulwiley and senior guard Bree Hall are playing key roles in the Gamecocks’ quest to win their third championship in four years.

Fulwiley earned SEC Sixth Woman of the Year this season while helping South Carolina earn its third consecutive SEC tournament title. Fulwiley also was selected to the All-Tournament team.

Hall anchors the South Carolina defense that finished No. 2 in the SEC, and her defense in the conference championship game helped the Gamecocks end the Texas Longhorns’ 15-game win streak.

No. 1 seed South Carolina (30-3 overall, 15-1 SEC) will face No. 16 seed Tennessee Tech on Friday in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.


What’s in MiLaysia’s bag?

Clockwise from left: Cell phones, a charger, a Red Bull Zero, beanie, headphones, Issey Miyake cologne, a Balenciaga wallet and Chester’s Hot Fries.

Cornell Watson for Andscape

Apple AirPods Max headphones are a must-have because Fulwiley listens to music to get her hype before games. Current songs on her playlist include “Power” by Young Thug and “We Should” by Lil Baby. Other essentials include her wallet and a bottle of Issey Miyake L’eau D’issey Pour Homme cologne. Her snack of choice when she’s on the road is Chester’s Hot Fries and a Red Bull Zero energy drink. (Fulwiley signed an NIL deal with Red Bull last year.)

“I be hungry when I’m in a gym, so I just keep a snack to snack on just so I won’t have an empty stomach,” Fulwiley said. “Hot fries [are] my favorite chips because, I don’t know, I just always ate hot fries as a kid, and I’m never going to change on hot fries.”

Fulwiley carries two phones, one for personal use and another for business purposes, but she admits that if you’re trying to call or text her, both are usually dead.

“I always forget my charger, especially when we go to away games,” Fulwiley said. “We’d be in a whole ‘nother state and all my teammates, they have their charger and stuff. I’ll text in a group chat, and I’ll be like, ‘Hey, does anyone have an extra charger?’ I’ll end up having to DoorDash the charger because no one brings two chargers.”


What’s in Bree’s bag?

Clockwise from left: A phone charger, MAC’s M·A·CStack Mascara, headphones, Core water, Ariana Grande Cloud Pink perfume, Gushers and a cherry backpack keychain.

Cornell Watson for Andscape

In preparation for away games, snacks are essential for Hall, and she always packs Core Hydration water and her childhood snack of Gushers. (The blue ones are her favorite.)

She also can’t go without her AirPods Max headphones, and her pregame song is Beyonce’s “Flawless” because it’s a “powerful song” that boosts her confidence. Hall also carries her phone charger. (“My phone is typically dead, but I try my best to keep it charged,” she said.)

Before heading to the court, Hall loves to smell good and look good, so a travel-size Cloud Pink perfume by Ariana Grande and MAC’s M·A·CStack Mascara are must-haves for the Gamecocks guard.

“It makes my lashes pop, and I feel like I have long lashes, so that’s very important. And I’m going to be on TV, so why not?” Hall said. “I have no problems [during game days]. It stays on just perfectly fine.”


An inside look at what UConn Huskies KK Arnold and Azzi Fudd pack in their travel bags.

UConn: KK Arnold and Azzi Fudd

Senior guard Azzi Fudd and sophomore guard KK Arnold helped UConn go undefeated in conference play and secure the program’s fifth consecutive Big East tournament championship.

Fudd earned Big East First Team honors this season after averaging 12.8 points per game while shooting a career-high 43.4% from 3-point range. Arnold is averaging 5.5 points per game and shooting a career-high 46.1% from the field this season.

No. 2 seed UConn (31-3 overall, 18-0 Big East) will face No. 15 seed Arkansas State on Saturday in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.


What’s in Azzi’s bag?

Clockwise from left: Headphones, her water bottle, her devotional book, Lemme Sleep melatonin gummies, a second book, plush octopus, Goodwipes and bracelets.

Tony Spinelli for Andscape

Every day, Fudd wears two bracelets, one that spells out “purpose” and another that says “resilient,” as reminders that she can get through any challenge and should be intentional in everything she does. Fudd also packs Lemme Sleep melatonin gummies, her Bose QuietComfort headphones, Goodwipes for her “pregame poop” and her Owala water bottle, which doubles as a massage roller when she’s not drinking from it.

For long road trips, she brings books to read, such as “Chop Wood, Carry Water” by Joshua Medcalf and “Eternal Gold” by Tim Dilena.

“Every athlete knows that around February things are hard. Nothing’s easy right now. … So [the books] helped me just get my head space in the right area where it needs to be,” Fudd said.

Fudd got a plush octopus in high school around the first time she tore her ACL, and her little octopus has served as an emotional support item throughout the process of rehab and recovery.

“I have grown so much, matured so much in so many different ways,” Fudd said. “Just having this little part that was with me during that process and the second process and now through what I’m going through … It’s just special to have that reminder and that connection to see how far I’ve grown and how far I’m going to continue to grow.”


What’s in KK’s bag?

Clockwise from left: Her stuffed Husky, iPad, bonnet, her daily devotional book and custom-designed headphones.

Tony Spinelli for Andscape

Arnold can’t travel without her stuffed Husky, which was given to her as a gift from a close friend, because her stuffed animal helps her sleep better during road games. (Fudd disagrees, saying her teammate sometimes steals her gummies.) Arnold also travels with her AirPods Max headphones, which she custom-designed in navy blue with gold spider webs because she’s a Spiderman fan.

To keep her edges and signature twists fresh for game day, she wears a durag, as well as a purple bonnet she borrowed from teammate Sarah Strong. She also brings her iPad to watch the television series School Spirits, and she draws pictures on it, too.

She also packs her daily devotional book “You Got This: 90 Devotions to Equip and Empower Hardworking Women” by Melissa Horvath. The book helps her cope with the pressures of being a student-athlete, she said.

“It makes me think bigger than what I’m thinking right now,” Arnold said. “I overthink a lot and when I read my devotional, it just makes me take a deep breath and realize my ‘why’ in terms of why I’m here and who brought me here and the people who are around me. … It just kind of brings me back to reality and just kind of calms me down.”


An inside look at what Texas Longhorns Madison Booker and Rori Harmon pack in their travel bags.

Texas: Madison Booker and Rori Harmon

This season, sophomore forward Madison Booker and senior guard Rori Harmon helped Texas earn the SEC regular-season championship in the Longhorns’ first season in the conference.

Booker, the SEC Player of the Year, averaged 16.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. She was named one of 15 finalists for the John R. Wooden Award, which is given annually to the nation’s best college basketball player. Harmon earned SEC All-Defense team honors and finished in the top 10 in the conference in steals (75). Harmon led the SEC in total assists (202) this season, and she’s ranked No. 7 in the nation for best assist-to-turnover ratio (3.06).

No. 1 seed Texas (31-3 overall, 15-1 SEC) will face the winner of Thursday’s First Four matchup between No. 16 seeds High Point and William & Mary in the opening round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday.


What’s in Madison’s bag?

Clockwise from left: Her Charlie Brown keychain, Dove antiperspirants and Aveeno lotion, Acuvue contacts, gaming systems, Valentino’s Born in Roma Coral perfume and pajamas.

Peter Yang for Andscape

Booker’s contacts are the most important item in her bag; she can’t see or play well without them. She used to play with goggles in the eighth grade before switching to contacts.

Other items in Booker’s bag include her car keys, Valentino’s Born in Roma Coral perfume, Aveeno lotion, Dove deodorant, a PlayStation Portal (purple because she’s a fan of the Joker) and numerous pairs of pajamas.

“Growing up, I loved me some onesies, pajama sets,” Booker said. “When I’m in college, I still, you know, carry that little kid with me with some pajama pants from Target. Now they be a little expensive sometimes, but I have to spend money on them. I like just having a variety. I have about 20 pairs right now.”


What’s in Rori’s bag?

Clockwise from left: Aquaphor, a water bottle with Harmon’s jersey number, her daily devotional, laptop, Nintendo Switch and headphones.

Peter Yang for Andscape

Harmon must have her Beats by Dre Studio Pro headphones to watch movies and listen to music from artists such as Kendrick, SZA and Lil Wayne.

“I think if I forget my headphones, like, might as well just turn around, honestly,” Harmon said.

For games, her snack of choice is a Rice Krispies treat and Gatorade Frost in the Glacier Cherry flavor. She also packs Aquaphor to stay moisturized, a Yeti water bottle customized with her jersey number, her MacBook Pro laptop and her Nintendo Switch. (She plays Fortnite.)

“Jesus Calling,” a daily devotional by Sarah Young, is also one of her essentials.

“My New Year’s resolution was to make time in my day to busy day.  We have so much that we do, but there’s always time to put aside to read our devotional, read the Bible or just pray,” Harmon said.


An inside look at what UCLA Bruins Timea Gardiner and Kiki Rice pack in their travel bags.

UCLA: Timea Gardiner and Kiki Rice

UCLA earned the program’s first Big Ten tournament championship, avenging two previous regular-season losses to city rival USC, with the help of juniors Kiki Rice and Timea Gardiner.

Rice, the Bruins’ starting point guard, is averaging 12.8 points and 4.8 assists while shooting a career-high 50% from the field. Rice is also one of five finalists for the Nancy Lieberman Award, which is given to the top point guard in women’s Division I college basketball. Gardiner, a former Pac-12 Sixth Player of the Year, helped the Bruins lead the Big 10 in rebounds per game (43.2) this season.

No. 1 seed UCLA (30-2 overall, 16-2 Big Ten) will face the winner of Wednesday’s First Four game between No. 16 seeds Southern University and UC San Diego in the opening round of the NCAA tournament on Friday.


What’s in Kiki’s bag?

Clockwise from left: Sneakers, hair ties, Dove deodorant, Aquaphor, Nilla wafers and headphones.

Yasara Gunawardena for Andscape

Listening to Drake, NBA YoungBoy and SZA during road trips wouldn’t be possible for Rice without her AirPods Max headphones.

Aquaphor also has a permanent place in Rice’s bag. One tube is never enough, she said.

“I literally always have Aquaphor on me,” Rice said. “One of my teammates actually holds it on the bench. Whenever I come out for a sub or in a timeout, I always tap and ask her for the Aquaphor. I always use it during the game, too. … I have a little small one for my purse. But this is the one I always have on me in my backpack that I bring to practice, bring to games and everything.”

She also carries extra ponytail holders for her signature high ponytail, Dove Even Tone deodorant and Nilla Wafers (for snack time). Rice, who has an NIL deal with Jordan Brand, has Player Edition Jordan 39 Heir Series sneakers. She even gifted her teammates a pair of her signature shoes last season.


What’s in Timea’s bag?

Clockwise from left: A book, Fenty Beauty lip gloss, concealer, Marc Jacobs Daisy perfume, Benefit Fan Fest mascara, a journal, hairbrush, Nutella and breadsticks, sneakers, a basketball and headphones.

Yasara Gunawardena for Andscape

The first thing Gardiner packs are her hair supplies, which include hair gel and a specialty brush that smooths down her curly hair into a tight bun or ponytail. Though she likes to experiment with hairstyles for game day, her go-to style is a slicked-back middle bun.

“I love a slickback; that’s what I do every single game, either a bun or a ponytail,” Gardiner said. “Then I have my hair clip, which is for planes. When I just don’t want to have my hair tied up, I just clip it up. … My freshman year I had to do a high bun every single game. Last year I did a low ponytail, and this year I kind of vary what I like to do.”

Gardiner’s favorite part about game day is her makeup routine: She wears Fenty Beauty lip gloss, Benefit Fan Fest mascara and concealer, along with a spritz of her travel-size Marc Jacobs Daisy perfume.

Gardiner also brings her journal to help clear her mind and the book “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah Maas. Her favorite snack is Nutella with breadsticks.

Although most of her teammates use over-the-ear headphones, Gardiner prefers Apple’s wired earbuds because she doesn’t want to mess up her hair. She’s currently listening to Tyler the Creator, SZA, BossMan Dlow and early 2000s R&B.