 Mühl withUConn in 2022 | |
| No. 1 – Sopron Basket | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard |
| League | Nemzeti Bajnokság I/A |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (2001-04-09)9 April 2001 (age 24) |
| Listed height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) |
| Listed weight | 71 kg (157 lb) |
| Career information | |
| High school | III Gymnasium Zagreb (Zagreb) |
| College | UConn (2020–2024) |
| WNBA draft | 2024: 2nd round, 14th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Seattle Storm |
| Playing career | 2024–present |
| Career history | |
| 2016–2020 | ŽKK Trešnjevka 2009 |
| 2024–present | Seattle Storm |
| 2024 | Beşiktaş JK |
| 2025–present | Sopron Basket |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Stats atBasketball Reference  | |
Nika Mühl (/mjuːl/MEWL; born 9 April 2001) is a Croatian professionalbasketball player for theSeattle Storm of theWomen's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and forSopron Basket of theNemzeti Bajnokság I/A. She playedcollege basketball as apoint guard for theUConn Huskies.[1] Twice namedBig East Conference Defensive Player of the Year while in college, Mühl is UConn's all-time leader in careerassists, with 686, and also holds the program records for mostassists in a single season (284, set in 2022–23) and in a single game (15 againstNC State on November 20, 2022). She was selected 14th overall bySeattle in the2024 WNBA draft and also plays forBeşiktaş JK of theWomen's Basketball Super League in Turkey.
Mühl was born inZagreb to parents Roberta and Darko Mühl, both of whom played basketball.[2][3] She has one younger sister, Hana Mühl.[4][5] Nika Mühl attended theIII Gymnasium Zagreb.[6]
Mühl played four seasons forŽKK Trešnjevka 2009 in the CroatianPrva Ženska Liga, from 2016 to 2020.[4][7] She appeared in 24 games in the Prva liga in her first season, averaging 6.4 points, 4.2rebounds and 2.8assists.[8] The following season she averaged 9.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists in the Prva Ženska Liga and 11.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists in theWomen Adriatic Basketball Association (WABA).[9]
In 2018–2019, she averaged 10.0, 7.9 and 6.2 assists in the Prva Ženska Liga and 11.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.2 assists in the WABA. She continued her stellar performance with Trešnjevka during the 2019–2020 season; Mühl averaged 8.6 points and 7.1 assists in the Prva Ženska Liga and 11.7 points and 7.2 assists in the WABA.[10]
Mühl receivedscholarship offers from severalNCAA Division I basketball programs, includingOregon,Ohio State,Louisville, andSouth Florida.[11] On April 8, 2019, Mühl announced her commitment to theUniversity of Connecticut. She credited CoachGeno Auriemma's personal trip toCroatia as one reason for her decision: “He was the first one to visit. He made me think that he really cared and that he really wanted me there.”[12] On November 13, 2019, Mühl signed aNational Letter of Intent withUConn.[13][14]
During her freshman season, Mühl averaged 5.0 points, 2.7 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.8 steals across 22 games. She made 14 consecutive starts.[15] On 25 February 2021, she scored a season high 19 points in an 81-49 victory against Creighton.[16] InUConn’s first game againstHigh Point in theNCAA Tournament, Mühl rolled her ankle and needed to be helped off the court. She missed the next three games and was unable to return to form in theFinal Four.[17]
Mühl was namedBig EastDefensive Player of the Year for the 2021–22 season[18] after averaging 2.2 steals per game, second best in theBig East, and headlining theHuskies defense which allowed a league best of 50.8 points per game against conference opponents.[19]
With teammatePaige Bueckers out for the season due to a torn ACL,SB Nation's Daniel Connolly wrote that Mühl had becomeUConn's "most important player as the team's only truepoint guard with no obvious options behind her."[20] Mühl took on the role of leader on both the defensive and offensive end. On November 20, 2022, she set theprogram record for most assists in a single game with 15 againstNC State, a record held previously by Bueckers.[21] She led the nation inassists per game for most of the 2022–23 season, only finishing behindCaitlin Clark by 0.2 assists. In the final regular-season game against Xavier, Mühl recorded seven assists to bring her season total to 236, five more than the single-season school record set bySue Bird in 2002.[22] Starting throughoutUConn's three games in theBig East Tournament and three more in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, Mühl finished the season with 284 assists.[23] Mühl's was announced as a top 10 candidate for the 2023 Nancy Lieberman award honoring the top point guard in Division 1 college basketball.[24]
In Mühl's senior season at UConn, she played 39 games, all as a starter, averaging 32.1 minutes per game. Her field goal percentage was 46.2%, with a three-point shooting percentage of 40.2%. Over the course of the season, Mühl averaged 6.9 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game, along with 1.3 steals. Her performance earned her a spot on the All-Big East second team.[25] Mühl broke UConn's all-time career assist record during UConn's second round game against Syracuse with her 660th assist on a pass to Ashlynn Shade. The record was previously held by Moriah Jefferson (659).[26] Mühl would finish her UConn career with 686 assists. Mühl would have back-to-back seasons of 200+ assists as she would finish her senior season with 253 assists.[27]
In the 2024Final Four tournament game against Iowa on April 5, 2024, Mühl had the primary responsibility of guarding Iowa playerCaitlin Clark.[28] Mühl finished her final college game with 9 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds and played all 40 minutes.[29] Prior to the start of the Big East tournament, Mühl announced on social media that she would forgo her final year of eligibilty from the COVID-19 extension.[30]
Mühl was asked to attend the2024 WNBA draft in person and selected in the second round as the 14th pick overall by theSeattle Storm. On May 13, the team announced that Mühl had made the final roster for the2024 Seattle Storm season.[31]
Mühl made herWNBA debut on 22 May 2024, recording three minutes played and two rebounds. She had missed the first four games of the season having issues converting her student visa into a P1A work visa.[32] While Mühl saw limited in-game minutes as a rookie,[33] she acknowledged her lack of playing time was a result of having to "earn [her] spot" in a rotation that featured several experienced veterans and star players, while her Storm teammates and head coachNoelle Quinn praised her work ethic in practice as she adapted to the professional level.[34] On 19 September, Mühl played a season-high 14 minutes in theStorm's regular-season finale against thePhoenix Mercury, scoring her first career points off of a steal with 4:40 left in the game.[35]
On 18 April 2025, the Storm confirmed Mühl would miss the entire2025 WNBA season due to a torn ACL suffered while playing forBeşiktaş in October 2024.[36]
On 31 May 2024, Turkish clubBeşiktaş J.K. announced that Mühl would be joining the team for the 2024–25 season in theKBSL.[37] Late in the third quarter of a game againstFenerbahçe S.K. on 3 October, Mühl suffered anACL andmeniscus tear, prematurely ending her season.[38] Prior to her injury, Mühl played 28 minutes, with 11 points, 9 assists, and 3 rebounds while on the court. Fenerbahçe went on to win the game 79-63 over Beşiktaş.[39] Mühl underwent surgery on 1 November 2024 to repair the torn ACL and meniscus.[40][41]
Mühl signed withSopron Basket of theNemzeti Bajnokság I/A for the 2025–26 season.[42]
Mühl representedCroatia at the2018 FIBA U18 European Championship, averaging 10.9 points, 5.7 assists, and 5.0 rebounds per game.[43] Croatia would finish third in Group A with a plus 3 point differential. Croatia would lose in the Round of 16 to Hungary 63-58. Croatia would go on to defeatBosnia & Herzegovina,Poland, andItaly to finish in 9th place overall.[44]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game | FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage |
| FT% | Free throw percentage | RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game | BPG | Blocks per game |
| TO | Turnovers per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high | ° | League leader | * | Led Division I |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Seattle | 16 | 0 | 3.6 | .071 | .000 | – | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | – | 0.3 | 0.1 |
| 2025 | Did not play (injury) | ||||||||||||
| Career | 16 | 0 | 3.6 | .071 | .000 | – | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | – | 0.3 | 0.1 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | UConn | 23 | 15 | 24.4 | .381 | .343 | .727 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 1.9 | 4.9 |
| 2021–22 | UConn | 33 | 19 | 21.7 | .431 | .342 | .222 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 3.8 |
| 2022–23 | UConn | 36 | 36 | 36.6 | .412 | .343 | .729 | 3.9 | 7.9 | 1.5 | 0.1 | 1.4 | 7.1 |
| 2023–24 | UConn | 39 | 39 | 32.1 | .462 | .402 | .571 | 4.0 | 6.5 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 2.6 | 6.9 |
| Career | 131 | 109 | 29.4 | .427 | .362 | .658 | 3.5 | 5.2 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 1.9 | 5.8 | |
Her sister Hana plays basketball as well, she previously played forBall State University[48] and currently plays forManhattan University.[49] Other than her nativeCroatian, Mühl speaksEnglish fluently and can speak limitedGerman.[50]
In April 2024, Mühl attendedKelsey Plum's second annual Dawg Class, a 3-day camp to help top women college athletes transition from collegiate to professional basketball.[51] The 2024 camp was held at theIMG Academy and sponsored byUnder Armour.[51]
GQ Sports named Mühl the WNBA's best dressed rookie of the 2024 season.[52] She was also named the WNBA's most stylish player in a fan voted contest on their Instagram.[53]
On 12 September 2024, Mühl announced viaInstagram she would be aMazda brand partner. She featured in televised commercials for the company while being highlighted across their social media channels.[54] Mühl has also featured in partnerships withSmartwater andUlta Beauty.
On 4 March 2025,Under Armour uploaded a teaser to their social media featuring a new athlete that would be joining the brand. Mühl was officially announced the next day, March 5th, as their newest signing.[55]
Nika Mühl, učenica 2. a razreda, zasjala je danas na svim sportskim portalima.
