Seattle Storm rookie Nika Muhl is finally eligible to play in the WNBA and her former UConn Huskies teammate Paige Bueckers couldn’t be more excited. The Croatian guard hadn’t received her work visa and missed the Storm’s first four games, but it finally came through before her team’s home game against the Indiana Fever. She showed up to the game in a quirky T-shirt celebrating her work visa approval and Bueckers approved it on social media.
This is the one😂🔥
https://t.co/4rUfoLVu34— Paige Bueckers (@paigebueckers1) May 23, 2024
Muhl did not feature much in her debut for the Storm, playing only three minutes and finishing with two rebounds. However, her teammates got the job done as they upstaged the Fever 85-83 to improve to 2-3. Coincidentally, the Croatian star’s last outing for the Huskies and her debut for the Storm were against teams featuring Caitlin Clark.
The star guard and the Hawkeyes ended Muhl and UConn’s NCAA title aspirations in the Final Four, so Seattle’s win over Indiana was sweet revenge for the former Huskie. While she’ll be delighted with the win, the 23-year-old will look to feature more frequently in the upcoming games and make her mark in the league.
Paige Bueckers and Nika Muhl’s friendship goes beyond basketball
Paige Bueckers and Nika Muhl spent four years together as teammates at UConn from 2020 to 2024 and during this time, they developed a strong bond. Bueckers even got emotional when talking about their friendship after they helped the Huskies win the Big East Tournament in March. She said,
“Playing with Nika has just been a joy. It’s kinda unfortunate we didn’t get to play together more. But this is like my sister, my twin. She’s been there for me through everything I’ve been through and I’ve been there for whatever she’s going through… We will be remembered for what we did on the court but what us players will take away the most is our relationships and memories and the bond that we’ve created.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BIy0zaahFM&t=34s
Muhl also shed tears when talking about her relationship with Bueckers, saying,
“I’m so grateful and thankful to the universe that I was able to come across a person like that… That’s my best friend, that’s my sister. She’s been holding me down since the start… People see us laugh, people see us joke. It’s always fun with us. But behind the scenes, that’s my ride-or-die and my best friend that I can always rely on and call and talk to and always be there for me.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg4Y5EghmbM&t=82s
Muhl and Bueckers led the Huskies to the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament in their final season together at the program. Following the Huskies’ loss to Iowa, the Croatian star declared for the WNBA draft, where the Storm picked her 14th overall. Bueckers decided to stay in college for another season and is expected to be the top pick in the 2025 WNBA draft.
Perhaps they could reunite in the league if the stars align and enjoy each other’s company on the court and off it like they did at UConn.
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