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One of the newer Connecticut Huskies to go pro will not be taking the floor this WNBA season.
The Seattle Storm placed former Huskies star Nika Muhl on its suspended list, sidelining her for the entire upcoming campaign.
Muhl, in the midst of her paused four-year rookie deal, endured an ACL tear while competing for Turkish club Besiktas JK last fall. Teammate Jordan Hortston endured the same fate in the Athletes Unlimited league in Nashville and likewise had her contract suspended.
The Crotation-born Muhl joined the Storm as the 14th pick in last year’s draft. Despite limited playing time and dealing with visa issues that delayed her WNBA entry, Muhl earned praise for her work ethic and willingness to earn her spot on the primary Seattle roster. She made 16 appearances during her rookie campaign, putting up 10 rebounds, seven assists, and two steals.
“She’s been a really good teammate,” then-teammate Jewell Loyd, now of the Las Vegas Aces, said of Muhl in July, per Bella Munson of The Next. “She’s been really locked in and she works her butt off. I don’t think people see that side — we always see what happens in the game but she’s always the first one in the gym and always doing what she needs to do — so she’s a really good pro.”
In Storrs, Muhl stands as the Huskies’ all-time leader in assists at 686 and is a two-time winner of the Big East Defensive Player of the Year Award. She’s the first UConn rep to earn two since original champion Nykesha Sales in 1997-98 and the first back-to-back winner overall since 2011-12 (Devereaux Peters, Notre Dame).
Still featuring UConn alumnae Kate Lou Samuelson and Gabby Williams, the Storm open their 2025 season on May 17 against the Phoenix Mercury.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
