Sequim Gazette staff

The champions are coming and they’re bringing some hardware.

Coming off their second Women’s National Basketball Association championship, the Seattle Storm is on tour at 10 different Boys & Girls Clubs across Washington as part of its “Trophy Tour,” bringing players, staff, the championship trophy and some on-the-court lessons.

The Storm hits Sequim from 3-5 p.m. Thursday, April 28.

Youths, parents and community members cast more than 45,000 votes online for their favorite club, with the top two from each of the state’s five regions qualifying for a tour visit. The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula, one of the smaller sets of clubs in the state, tallied 766 votes in all, good for second in the region behind Oak Harbor.

Participants in the “Trophy Tour” have the opportunity to participate in a “dribble, pass and shoot” skills competition and a junior Storm mini-clinic that teaches the fundamentals of basketball. Individual winners of the skills contest are invited to the Storm’s opening day “Celebration of Champions,” where they will compete against winners from other clubs for the opportunity to take home both an Xbox 360 and an Xbox Kinect.

Other activities during each of the 10 Trophy Tour stops include pictures with the Storm’s 2010 WNBA championship trophy and more Storm-themed games, prizes and giveaways.

“A lot of these kids don’t make it over to Seattle; this kind of brings a reality to them, gives them encouragement,” said Kristal Van Selus, Sequim Boys & Girls Club’s teen club director. “Here’s a chance they can meet pro athletes. Plus they’re going to learn from the best.”

The Seattle Storm is led by three-time league MVP Lauren Jackson and eight-time all-star guard Sue Bird. The Storm won WNBA championships in 2004 and 2010 and are the only Seattle professional franchise with a championship that remains in the city — after the Seattle Supersonics relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008.