Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese recently took to social media to voice her thoughts regarding trending topics in the WNBA, including visa delays for international players and the implementation of charter flights for teams. Her tweet, highlighted the ongoing struggles of Nika Muhl, a Croatian point guard for the Seattle Storm, and called for equitable treatment and increased publicity for all teams.
Muhl's highly anticipated debut for the Storm has been postponed due to visa issues. The former UConn women's basketball star missed the Storm's regular-season opener against the Minnesota Lynx as she awaits approval for a U.S. work visa. Muhl's visa complications are the latest hurdle in her transition from college basketball to the WNBA. She was unable to participate in the Storm's preseason game against the Los Angeles Sparks in Edmonton, Canada, on May 4, and her absence extended to the home opener against the Lynx.
“Get Nika her visa NOW, charter flights are HERE, give every team the same PUBLICITY cause it ain’t just one team, online bullying ain’t it AT ALL, and oh the CHICAGO SKY ARE HERE & ON THE RISE! ,” Reese said on X, formerly Twitter.
Angel Reese touches on topical issues
Muhl could play in Seattle’s home preseason matchup against the Phoenix Mercury on May 7 because she had not yet officially graduated from UConn, allowing her to compete under her student visa in the U.S. In that game, she scored six points, grabbed three rebounds, and dished out two assists. Now that Muhl has officially graduated, she cannot join the Storm until her professional work visa is approved. The process for obtaining a P-1 visa, which most international athletes in the U.S. use, typically takes three to six months. However, with the WNBA season already in full swing, efforts to expedite her visa approval are likely underway.
Selected with the No. 14 overall pick in the second round of the 2024 WNBA Draft, Muhl was the only rookie to make Seattle's 12-player roster for opening day. Standing at 5-foot-11, Muhl left UConn as the program’s all-time assists leader with 686. In her senior season, she averaged 6.9 points, 6.5 assists, and four rebounds per game, shooting 46.2% from the field and 40.2% from three-point range. Muhl also earned honorable-mention All-American honors and was the Big East Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 and 2023.
Reese also mentioned the ongoing discussions about charter flights for WNBA teams. The WNBA's new charter flight program for the 2024 season is expected to be fully operational in the coming week.
The new charter flight plan will cost approximately $25 million per year over the next two seasons. Prior, WNBA teams flew commercial and could only charter flights in limited circumstances, such as during the playoffs, for back-to-back games requiring air travel and for the Commissioner’s Cup.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said that the league is now in a better financial position to support these changes.
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