Storm notebook

If Storm Coach Lin Dunn ever needed to pull players from the stands to fill her roster, Chelle Flamoe would be the first plucked.

Just don't tell Flamoe that.

"Oh, gosh no, I wouldn't be," she said between belly laughs.

Flamoe, 33, could mold right into the Seattle team, being a former college standout at Oregon State. For now, though, the Tacoma native sits courtside with broadcaster David Locke as the Storm's color commentator.

"I don't even like talking," Flamoe said. "David can talk to himself for 4 hours or talk to a player for 30 minutes, and I'm sitting there wondering, `What could you possibly say for that long?' "

Locke, whose regular radio gig is "Locked on Sports" on KJR-AM, is helping smooth Flamoe into the simulcasts for the WNBA team.

It was pro basketball that dragged Flamoe to the other side of the baseline, anyway. She averaged about 25 points in college and gave up the sport to teach science and coach at her former high school, Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma.

When the WNBA kicked off its inaugural season in 1997, Flamoe tried out for the Sacramento Monarchs. She was one of two players from a pool of 300 to advance to the second day of tryouts, but wasn't picked to play with the team.

She was a practice player for the defunct Seattle Reign when a slot opened up to do the color commentating for them in 1997.

"It's hard to watch, but broadcasting is the second-best thing," said Flamoe, who joined the Storm after the Reign folded in December 1998.

"When I was growing up, this (the WNBA) wasn't even a goal. It's nice to be a part of women's professional basketball in any way."

Girl Power sessions set

The Storm is promoting "Girl Power" all this week.

Today's event will be a "Girl Talk" from 6:30-9 p.m. at North Seattle Community College. The event features a panel of local female athletes, community leaders and business personalities in an informal question-and-answer session covering challenges facing teens.

The team will have a Fantasy Camp for women ages 18 and up from 9-11 a.m. Saturday at Rainier Community Center.

All of the Storm players and Dunn will run participants through a mock practice in which women can learn basketball fundamentals and various drills and tune up their skills. Limited spaces are available. Call (206) 272-2746 to register or for more information.