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Nika Mühl

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Nika Mühl (/mjuːl/ MYOOL; born 9 April 2001) is a Croatian professional basketball player for the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball as a point guard for the UConn Huskies.[1] Twice named Big East Conference Defensive Player of the Year while in college, Mühl is UConn's all-time leader in career assists, with 686, and also holds the program records for most assists in a single season (284, set in 2022–23) and in a single game (15 against NC State on November 20, 2022). She was selected 14th overall by Seattle in the 2024 WNBA draft.

Nika Mühl
Mühl with UConn in 2022
No. 1 – Seattle Storm
PositionPoint guard
LeagueWNBA
Personal information
Born (2001-04-09) 9 April 2001 (age 23)
Zagreb, Croatia
Listed height183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Listed weight70.8 kg (156 lb)
Career information
High schoolIII. Gymnasium
(Zagreb)
CollegeUConn (2020–2024)
WNBA draft2024: 2nd round, 14th overall pick
Selected by the Seattle Storm
Playing career2016–present
Career history
2016–2020ŽKK Trešnjevka 2009
2024–presentSeattle Storm
2024–presentBeşiktaş JK
Career highlights and awards
  • 2× Big East Defensive Player of the Year (2022, 2023)
  • 2× Second-team All-Big East (2023, 2024)
  • All-WABA League Second team (2019)
  • UConn career assist record (686)
  • UConn single season assist record (284, 2022-23)
  • UConn most double-digit assist games (17)
  • UConn single-game assist record (15)
Mühl with Beşiktaş JK in 2024

Club career

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ŽKK Trešnjevka 2009

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Mühl played four seasons for ŽKK Trešnjevka 2009 in the Croatian Prva Ženska Liga, from 2016 to 2020.[2][3] She appeared in 24 games in the Prva liga in her first season, averaging 6.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists.[4] The following season she averaged 9.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists in the Prva Ženska Liga and 11.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists in the Women Adriatic Basketball Association (WABA).[5]

In 2018–2019, she averaged 10.0, 7.9 and 6.2 assists in the Prva Ženska Liga and 11.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.2 assists in the WABA. She continued her stellar performance with Trešnjevka during the 2019–2020 season; Mühl averaged 8.6 points and 7.1 assists in the Prva Ženska Liga and 11.7 points and 7.2 assists in the WABA.[6]

College career

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Recruiting

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Mühl received scholarship offers from several NCAA Division I basketball programs, including Oregon, Ohio State, Louisville, and South Florida.[7] On April 8, 2019, Mühl announced her commitment to the University of Connecticut. She credited Coach Geno Auriemma's personal trip to Croatia as one reason for her decision: “He was the first one to visit. He made me think that he really cared and that he really wanted me there.”[8] On November 13, 2019, Mühl signed a National Letter of Intent with UConn.[9][10]

Freshman

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During her freshman season, Mühl averaged 5.0 points, 2.7 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.8 steals across 22 games. She made 14 consecutive starts.[11] On 25 February 2021, she scored a season high 19 points in an 81-49 victory against Creighton.[12] In UConn’s first game against High Point in the NCAA Tournament, Mühl rolled her ankle and needed to be helped off the court. She missed the next three games and was unable to return to form in the Final Four.[13]

Sophomore

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Mühl was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year for the 2021–22 season[14] after averaging 2.2 steals per game, second best in the Big East, and headlining the Huskies defense which allowed a league best of 50.8 points per game against conference opponents.[15]

 
Mühl guarded by Stanford's Fran Belibi during the 2022 NCAA Final Four

Junior

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With teammate Paige Bueckers out for the season due to a torn ACL, SB Nation's Daniel Connolly wrote that Mühl had become UConn's "most important player as the team's only true point guard with no obvious options behind her."[16] Mühl took on the role of leader on both the defensive and offensive end. On November 20, 2022, she set the program record for most assists in a single game with 15 against NC State, a record held previously by Bueckers.[17] She led the nation in assists per game for most of the 2022–23 season, only finishing behind Caitlin Clark by 0.2 assists. In the final regular-season game against Xavier, Mühl recorded seven assists to bring her season total to 236, five more than the single-season school record set by Sue Bird in 2002.[18] Starting throughout UConn's three games in the Big East Tournament and three more in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, Mühl finished the season with 284 assists.[19] Mühl's was announced as a top 10 candidate for the 2023 Nancy Lieberman award honoring the top point guard in Division 1 college basketball.[20]

Senior

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In Mühl's senior season at UConn, she played 39 games, all as a starter, averaging 32.1 minutes per game. Her field goal percentage was 46.2%, with a three-point shooting percentage of 40.2%. Over the course of the season, Mühl averaged 6.9 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game, along with 1.3 steals. Her performance earned her a spot on the All-Big East second team.[21] Mühl broke UConn's all-time career assist record during UConn's second round game against Syracuse with her 660th assist on a pass to Ashlynn Shade. The record was previously held by Moriah Jefferson (659).[22] Mühl would finish her UConn career with 686 assists. Mühl would have back-to-back seasons of 200+ assists as she would finish her senior season with 253 assists.[23]

In the 2024 Final Four tournament game against Iowa on April 5, 2024, Mühl had the primary responsibility of guarding Iowa player Caitlin Clark.[24] Mühl finished her final college game with 9 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds and played all 40 minutes.[25] Prior to the start of the Big East tournament, Mühl announced on social media that she would forgo her final year of eligibilty from the COVID-19 extension.[26]

Professional career

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WNBA

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Mühl was asked to attend the 2024 WNBA draft in person and selected in the second round as the 14th pick overall by the Seattle Storm. On May 13, the team announced that Mühl had made the final roster for the 2024 Seattle Storm season.[27]

Mühl made her WNBA debut on May 22, 2024, recording three minutes played and two rebounds. She had missed the first four games of the season having issues converting her student visa into a P1A work visa.[28] While Mühl saw limited in-game minutes as a rookie,[29] she acknowledged her lack of playing time was a result of having to "earn [her] spot" in a rotation that featured several experienced veterans and star players, while her Storm teammates and head coach Noelle Quinn praised her work ethic in practice as she adapted to the professional level.[30] On September 19, Mühl played a season-high 14 minutes in the Storm's regular-season finale against the Phoenix Mercury, scoring her first career points off of a steal with 4:40 left in the game.[31]

KBSL

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On 31 May 2024, Turkish club Beşiktaş J.K. announced that Mühl would be joining the team for the 2024–25 season in the KBSL.[32] Late in the third quarter of a game against Fenerbahçe S.K. on 3 October, Mühl suffered an ACL and meniscus tear, prematurely ending her season.[33] Prior to her injury, Mühl played 28 minutes, with 11 points, 9 assists, and 3 rebounds while on the court. Fenerbahçe would go on to win the game 79-63 over Beşiktaş.[34] Mühl would undergo surgery on November 1, 2024 to repair the torn ACL and meniscus. [35][36]

National team career

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Mühl represented Croatia at the 2018 FIBA U18 European Championship, averaging 10.9 points, 5.7 assists, and 5.0 rebounds per game.[37] Croatia would finish third in Group A with a plus 3 point differential. Croatia would lose in the Round of 16 to Hungary 63-58. Croatia would go on to defeat Bosnia & Herzegovina, Poland, and Italy to finish in 9th place overall.[38]

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game  FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage
 FT%  Free throw percentage  RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game  BPG  Blocks per game
 TO  Turnovers per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high ° League leader  *  Led Division I

WNBA

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Regular season

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WNBA regular season statistics[39][40]
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2024 Seattle 16 0 3.6 .071 .000 – 0.6 0.4 0.1 – 0.3 0.1
Career 16 0 3.6 .071 .000 – 0.6 0.4 0.1 – 0.3 0.1

College

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NCAA statistics[41]
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2020–21 UConn 23 15 24.4 .381 .343 .727 2.4 2.7 1.7 0.2 1.9 4.9
2021–22 UConn 33 19 21.7 .431 .342 .222 3.0 2.6 1.4 0.2 1.5 3.8
2022–23 UConn 36 36 36.6 .412 .343 .729 3.9 7.9 1.5 0.1 1.4 7.1
2023–24 UConn 39 39 32.1 .462 .402 .571 4.0 6.5 1.3 0.2 2.6 6.9
Career 131 109 29.4 .427 .362 .658 3.5 5.2 1.4 0.2 1.9 5.8

Off the Court

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Personal life

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Mühl was born in Zagreb, Croatia to parents Roberta and Darko Mühl, both of whom played basketball.[42][43] She has one younger sister, Hana Mühl,[2][44] who previously played for Ball State University[45] and currently plays for Manhattan University.[46] Other than her native Croatian, Mühl speaks English fluently and can speak limited German.[47]

In April 2024, Mühl attended Kelsey Plum's second annual Dawg Class, a 3-day camp to help top women college athletes transition from collegiate to professional basketball.[48] The 2024 camp was held at the IMG Academy and sponsored by Under Armour.[48]

GQ Sports named Mühl the WNBA's best dressed rookie of the 2024 season.[49] She was also named the WNBA's most stylish player in a fan voted contest on their instagram.[50]

Endorsements

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On September 12th, Mühl announced on her instagram she would be a Mazda brand partner. She featured in televised commercials for the company while being highlighted across their social media channels.[51] Mühl has also featured in partnerships with Smartwater and Ulta Beauty.

Awards and honors

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College
  • Big East Defensive Player of the Year (2022)[15]
  • Big East Defensive Player of the Year (2023)[52]
  • All-Big East Second Team (2023, 2024)[53]
  • AP All-America Honorable Mention (2023, 2024)
  • Big East All-Tournament Team (2024)

References

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  1. ^ Paul Doyle (17 February 2022). "UConn women's basketball guard Nika Mühl impacting games without scoring: 'Whatever my team needs'". CT Insider. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Nika Mühl - Women's Basketball". University of Connecticut Athletics.
  3. ^ Alexa Philippou (22 April 2021). "UConn women's basketball's Nika Mühl stands out with her toughness and stubborness, and Geno Auriemma wouldn't want it any other way". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  4. ^ "ZKK Tresnjevka 2009 Zagreb - 2016–2017 statistics". Eurobasket.com. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  5. ^ "ZKK Tresnjevka 2009 Zagreb - 2017–2018 statistics". Eurobasket.com. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  6. ^ "ZKK Tresnjevka 2009 Zagreb - 2019–2020 statistics". Eurobasket.com. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  7. ^ Daniel Connolly (8 April 2019). "2020 International Commit Nika Muhl on How UConn Found Her". Rivals.com. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  8. ^ Logan, Michael (April 15, 2019). "COLLEGE BEAT: Being first across the pond helped Geno bring Croatia star to Storrs [sic]". Record Journal. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  9. ^ Putterman, Alex (November 13, 2019). "UConn women's basketball recruits Paige Bueckers, Nika Muhl, Mir McLean sign letters of intent, making commitments official". Hartford Courant. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  10. ^ Mike Anthony (18 March 2021). "Nika Muhl idolizes Dennis Rodman". The Cincinnati Post. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  11. ^ Doug Bonjour (23 March 2021). "UConn freshman guard Nika Muhl out for NCAA second-round game against Syracuse". Connecticut Post. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  12. ^ Doug Bonjour (26 February 2021). "Nika Muhl's offensive breakout carries tantalizing possibilities for top-ranked UConn women". The Cincinnati Post. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  13. ^ Daniel Connolly (14 July 2021). "Nika Mühl, still bitter about Arizona loss, feels like a freshman again". theuconnblog.com. SB Nation. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  14. ^ Maggie Vanoni (16 November 2022). "UConn women's basketball point guard Nika Mühl embracing new role: 'She's grown up a lot'". CT Insider. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  15. ^ a b Daniel Connolly (3 March 2022). "UConn women's basketball's Nika Mühl named Big East Defensive Player of the Year". theuconnblog.com. SB Nation. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  16. ^ Daniel Connolly (18 August 2022). "UConn WBB Weekly: With Paige Bueckers out, Nika Mühl is now UConn's most important player". theuconnblog.com. SB Nation. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  17. ^ Mike Anthony (21 November 2022). "Why UConn women's basketball guard Nika Mühl had record-setting game with 'subtle' performance". CT Insider. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  18. ^ Inquirer, Carl Adamec / Journal. "UConn women's notebook: Mühl gets assist to break Bird's record". Journal Inquirer. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  19. ^ Riley, Lori (March 24, 2023). "Complex relationship: As Nika Muhl drives UConn women forward, she sometimes drives coach Geno Auriemma crazy". Hartford Courant. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  20. ^ "10 candidates named for the 2023 Nancy Lieberman Award | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. NCAA. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  21. ^ "Bueckers Voted BIG EAST Player of the Year" (Press release). Big East Conference. 7 March 2024. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  22. ^ Connolly, Daniel. "The Aftermath: Nika Mühl makes history". UConn WBB Weekly. UConn WBB Weekly. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  23. ^ "NCAA College Women's Basketball DI current individual Stats | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  24. ^ Sutelan, Edward (15 April 2024). "Who is Nika Muhl? Everything to know about UConn standout guarding Caitlin Clark in Final Four". The Sporting News. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  25. ^ "NCAA Women's Championship – Final Four: (3) Uconn Huskies vs. (1) Iowa Hawkeyes Box Score". ESPN. 5 April 2024. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  26. ^ Connolly, Daniel (26 September 2024). "Nika Mühl to leave UConn after this season". UConn WBB Weekly. UConn WBB Weekly. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  27. ^ Adams, Emily (13 May 2024). "UConn women's stars make it: Nika Muhl clinches spot in Seattle, Aaliyah Edwards with Washington". Yahoo Sports. Hartford Courant. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  28. ^ Pelton, Kevin (22 May 2024). "Storm's Nika Muhl set for WNBA debut vs. Fever after visa issues". ABC News. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  29. ^ Adamec, Carl (25 July 2024). "Why ex-UConn women's basketball star Nika Mühl has played sparingly as WNBA rookie for Seattle Storm". CT Insider. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  30. ^ Munson, Bella (5 July 2024). "Nika Mühl doesn't want undeserved minutes". The Next. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  31. ^ Adamec, Carl (20 September 2024). "Former UConn guard Nika Mühl scores first WNBA points in Seattle Storm regular-season finale". CT Insider. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  32. ^ "Nika Mühl Beşiktaş BOA'da". bjk.com.tr. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  33. ^ Maloney, Jack (3 October 2024). "Seattle Storm guard Nika Muhl suffers torn ACL while playing overseas, could miss 2025 WNBA season". CBS Sports. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  34. ^ "Fenerbahce - Besiktas 79:63". www.flashscoreusa.com. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  35. ^ Ryan, Matt (3 November 2024). "Nika Muhl deflects enormous knee brace with 'emotional support kitties' in selfie". The Athlete Lifestyle On SI. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
  36. ^ "Nika Mühl undergoes successful surgery to repair torn ACL and meniscus". storm.wnba.com. Seattle Storm. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  37. ^ "Nika Muhl at the FIBA U18 Women's European Championship 2018 - FIBA.basketball". fiba.basketball. FIBA. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  38. ^ "FIBA U18 Women's European Championship | FIBA.basketball". www.fiba.basketball. FIBA. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
  39. ^ "WNBA Stats – Nika Mühl". WNBA. NBA Media Ventures, LLC.
  40. ^ "Nika Mühl WNBA Stats". Basketball Reference.
  41. ^ "Nika Muhl College Stats". Sports Reference. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  42. ^ Walter Villa (18 April 2019). "When UConn called, it was game on for Croatian recruit Nika Muhl". ESPN. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  43. ^ Jeré Longman (22 March 2021). "The Road to the Final Four Runs Through Zagreb". New York Times. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  44. ^ Carl Adamec (19 November 2022). "Mühl learning how vital a point guard's role is at UConn". theday.com. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  45. ^ "Hana Mühl". 2022-23 Women's Basketball Roster. Ball State University Athletics. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  46. ^ https://gojaspers.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster
  47. ^ "When UConn called, it was game on for Croatian recruit Nika Muhl". ESPN.com. 2019-04-18. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  48. ^ a b "(Dawg) Class Is Back in Session". Under Armour. April 19, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  49. ^ Roberson, Matthew (14 June 2024). "Nika Mühl Is the WNBA's Best-Dressed Rookie". GQ. GQ Sports. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  50. ^ Roberson, Matthew (28 October 2024). "Nika Mühl Is the WNBA's Most Stylish Player of 2024, as Voted by You". GQ. GQ Sports. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  51. ^ Hessekiel, Sophie (30 October 2024). "'Most Stylish' WNBA star Nika Mühl shows off chic crop tops and elegant accessories in Mazda ad". The Athlete Lifestyle On SI. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  52. ^ "Maddy Siegrist Named BIG EAST Player of the Year". www.bigeast.com. 2 March 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
  53. ^ https://uconnhuskies.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/nika-m-hl/13220
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