While the Trump administration’s proposal brings the tiny fish one step closer to federal protections, across the California line, a different tiny fish

The other three are Black, but that number is. Within that subset, Seattle Storm coach Noelle Quinn is the only other female. In 2022, Latricia Trammell became the first Native American or Alaska Native head coach. The Dallas Wings, however, fired her after two seasons.

Only one-fourth of the head coaches in the league are Black, which is a sharp contrast to the fact that roughly 64% of WNBA players are Black or African American, according to a 2023 report from The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport. Hispanic/Latina and Asian players each account for 1.4%. Those who identify as mixed race amount to nearly 11%.The WNBA is on track to expand to 16 teams by 2028. Toronto — the first outside the U.S. — and Portland, Oregon, will have franchises next year.This is all happening as women’s sports at college and professional levels have seen a popularity surge in the last few years. Nakase was a Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach for 10 years before she joined the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces in a similar role. In 2023, after the Aces won back-to-back championships, Nakase noticed a shift in interest.

She believes the opportunity to be part of the movement happening in women’s sports as the coach of the Valkyries couldn’t have come at a better time.“I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be, especially going from the NBA, experiencing everything on a day to day on what it looks like, what they get and now coming here,” Nakase said.

Nakase’s presence has electrified Bay Area Asian Americans who already were stoked to have a hometown WNBA team to support.

Teresa and Nathan Chan, who are Chinese American, had bought Valkyries season tickets for themselves and their daughters Adelaide, 16, and Ashlyn, 15. Both girls play for the San Jose Zebras, one of several Asian American youth teams around the Bay Area.If this type of pattern in the atmosphere happened two months earlier, he said, “we’d be talking about a crippling snowstorm in the Northeastern U.S., not just a wet start to Memorial Day weekend.”

O’Malley reported from Philadelphia.The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s

for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas atNEW YORK (AP) — Walmart, which became the nation’s largest retailer by making low prices a priority, has found itself in a place it’s rarely been: Warning customers that prices will rise for goods ranging from bananas to car seats.