At long last, Nika Muhl has made her WNBA debut with the Seattle Storm. Issues with her visa delayed the start of her professional career but they have now been resolved, allowing the rookie to get back on the court.
Muhl, a native of Zagreb, Croatia and former UConn standout, was drafted 14th overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She had to wait for her student visa to be converted to a P1A work visa. Although she was able to appear in the preseason because her student visa was still in effect, Muhl is playing catch-up as the season progresses past its first week. Fortunately, though, she is finally able to play again.
Muhl celebrated the occasion with a special pregame outfit that flaunted her visa with a stamp reading “approved” on a T-shirt.
You won’t find many more iconic entrances for a player’s first game than that. Former UConn teammate Paige Bueckers was one of the many fans to shout Muhl out for her incredible outfit.
Muhl played just two minutes and 39 seconds in her debut game, collecting two rebounds and missing her only field-goal attempt. It took her a whopping three seconds to make a hustle play, showing why Seattle had drafted her and why many fans expected her to be a first-round pick.
The Storm faced Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, winning 85-83. Clark notched 21 points, seven assists and seven rebounds on 6-16 shooting as she looks for her first win in the WNBA. Muhl may not get a ton of minutes with veteran guards Jewell Loyd, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Sami Whitcomb and Victoria Vivians in the rotation. But when she does, she is sure to give Seattle tons of energy and top-notch defense.
Nika Muhl makes WNBA debut in Storm win over Caitlin Clark, Fever
Even though Muhl didn’t get to play that much, she said that the feeling of finally making it to the pros was “surreal,” according to Kevin Pelton of ESPN.
“I was shaking,” Muhl said after the game, via ESPN. “It was unreal. It was surreal. I always say I never dreamed of stuff like this because it was always kind of too far to reach it in my head, but I trust my work and I trust that I deserve to be here. I love being here. I love Seattle. I love my teammates, I love my coaches, and I love the program and the history and what it brings. These fans, I love them the most of everything.”
Clark hit a three over Muhl in transition, welcoming her to the pro game. The former combatants in the Final Four have loads of respect for one another and are each looking to make their mark at the next level. Muhl’s pesky perimeter defense will come in handy for Seattle against high-scoring guards like Clark.
The Storm’s record now stands at 2-3 early in the season and the arrival of Nika Muhl to the active roster should help them stack up more wins. Their next game is at home on Saturday against the Washington Mystics.