Nika Muhl drops 4-word reaction for UConn coach Geno Auriemma's playful banter

Modified Oct 19, 2024 05:04 GMT

Nika Muhl engaged in some lighthearted teasing with her former UConn coach, Geno Auriemma, after suggesting a funny Halloween costume for the 70-year-old. The Seattle Storm rookie proposed that her coach should dress up as Carl Fredricksen from the animated film "Up."

In a video posted by Overtime WBB, the UConn women's basketball coach was asked about his plans for Halloween. He then learned that Muhl wanted him to dress up as the beloved cartoon character.

“We still care about what Nika thinks? Oh, she's an idiot,” the coach replied.

Nika Muhl shared the video on her Instagram story and captioned it:

“He is just wonderful.”

Nika Muhl engages in playful banter with UConn coach.

She added a flurry of heart emojis to her caption.

Auriemma has been a strong supporter of Muhl, even as she transitioned to the pros. He was present when his former player scored her first WNBA points during Seattle's final regular season game, where she finished with two points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal.

Looking back at Nika Muhl's emotional goodbye to Geno Auriemma ahead of WNBA season

Nika Muhl was selected 14th overall by the Seattle Storm in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Before officially joining the team for training camp, she took a moment to visit her UConn coach to say her farewells. Geno Auriemma is a legendary figure at UConn, having led the team to 11 NCAA Division I national championships — the most in women's college basketball history.

In a video shared by the UConn Women’s Basketball account on X (formerly Twitter), Muhl was seen expressing her gratitude to her coach.

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"Thank you. you changed my life. Your impact, I don't think you're aware of it. To an extent you are, but you impacted so many people around me and including me. There's never been a single person like you and there never will be in the world. I hope you know how unique you are and how special you are."

Auriemma quickly responded, teasing Muhl:

"Are you describing yourself? Are you talking about you right now?"

Muhl then said:

"You're just legendary, but not just as a coach, like, to me, you're legendary as a person, and I'll cherish that forever."

Muhl didn’t receive much playing time with the Storm, but during the team's 2024 regular-season finale, she made her first and only field goal, achieving a career-high of two points. In that game, she also set personal bests with three assists, two rebounds, 14 minutes played and five field goal attempts.

She suffered a torn ACL in her first game overseas as a member of Turkish team Besiktas.