Nika Muhl reacts to Paige Bueckers and UConn’s electric 86-49 win against South Florida
Former UConn guard Nika Muhl reacted to ex-teammate Paige Bueckers and UConn's 86-49 win against South Florida. The Huskies hosted the Bulls on Sunday in front of the 10,299 crowd at the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion, and they came firing on all cylinders to get their second win of the season.
Bueckers led all players with 22 points, three rebounds and two steals, which earned the admiration of her "twin" Nika Muhl.
The UConn Women's basketball team posted a picture of Bueckers during the game with the caption:
"If you look up aura in the dictionary, you’ll find Paige Bueckers."
Muhl then shared that post on her Instagram Story with a girl emoji in between two smiling face with horns emojis.
Bueckers and the Huskies are off to a good start, not taking their foot off the pedal after the 86-32 season opener against Boston University. Bueckers tallied 13 points, four rebounds, seven assists and five steals in the season opener.
The Huskies have three remaining games in November, facing North Carolina (Friday), FDU (Nov. 20) and Oregon State (Nov. 25).
Nika Muhl still recovering from knee surgery
Nika Muhl had a stellar career with UConn. The 6-foot Croatian guard was named Big East Conference Defensive Player of the Year twice. She also holds UConn's records for career assists with 686, most assists in a single season (284 in 2022–23) and a single game (15 against NC State).
While she was the 14th selection of the 2024 WNBA draft by the Seattle Storm, Muhl had limited playing time due to the team's guard rotations. Despite appearing in 16 games, she only managed to get her first points in the last regular season game.
On May 31, Muhl announced that she would join Beşiktaş J.K. to play for Turkey's Women's Basketball Super League. Muhl logged 11 points, nine rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes in her debut against Fenerbache in October before suffering an ACL and meniscus tear, abruptly ending her season.
Paige Bueckers posted an encouraging message about her "twin" shortly after Muhl's injury.
Last week, Muhl's WNBA team the Seattle Storm posted an update on Twitter (X) to inform their fans about the rookie's status:
"Muhl underwent successful surgery on Friday, November 1 to repair the ligament and meniscus and is taking steps towards a healthy recovery. Updates on her progress and return to play will be made public when available."
Muhl reportedly needs at least six months to recover and start playing again on the hardwood, which makes her status for the next WNBA season in May 2025 uncertain.