"First bucket twinnnnn": Paige Bueckers celebrates ex-UConn teammate Nika Mühl's first WNBA bucket for Seattle Storm
Uconn star Paige Bueckers was hyped after Seattle Storm rookie and former Huskies Nika Muhl made her first WNBA bucket after 15 games on Thursday. This was the last regular-season game for the Storm ahead of the playoffs, occupying fifth position in the standings.
Playing against the Phoenix Mercury, Muhl got extended minutes on the floor. At 4:40 in the fourth quarter, she stole the ball and finished a tough layup to secure her first points in the WNBA. Her former teammate, Bueckers, took to social media to share her love.
"First bucket twinnnnnnnnnnn," Bueckers tweeted.
In 14 minutes of action, Nika Muhl scored two points (1-of-5 from the field and 0-of-4 from beyond the arc), two rebounds and three assists. That comes after a challenging start to the season where she had to miss four games due to visa issues.
The Seattle Storm would go on to win 89-70 at the Footprint Center.
Nika Muhl gets emotional while describing her bond with Paige Bueckers
The departure of Nika Muhl from college basketball to WNBA was difficult for both Husky and Paige Bueckers. The feeling was mutual as after winning the Big East Championship last season, Muhl would have tears dripping from her eyes while describing her bond with Bueckers.
"I'm just so grateful and thankful to the universe that I was able to come across a person like that. I'm thankful to coach for recruiting us at the same time and bringing us here. That's my best friend, my sister. She's been holding me down since the start," Muhl told SNY's Chelsea Sherrod after the Huskies Big East Championship win (1:00 onwards)
"You know, people see us laugh, people see us as a joke, it's always fun with us, but behind the scenes, that's my ride or die, my best friend who I can always rely on, call, and talk to, and I know she'll always be there for me. The on-court stuff is great, and I enjoy it so much, but it's off the court where it matters most — the fact that I know in 30 years she'll still be my best friend. I love her so much."
Paige Bueckers, who didn't declare for the 2024 WNBA draft, will raise her stock this season with the Huskies. She's projected to be the top pick in next year's draft, so an NCAA championship run will let teams know how capable she's in terms of leading a championship team.