Seattle Storm guard Nika Mühl tore her ACL in her left knee during her first game overseas with Beşiktaş in Turkey, just one week after the Storm were eliminated from the WNBA playoffs by the Las Vegas Aces. The injury occurred Thursday during a match against Fenerbahçe, cutting short what was meant to be a promising stint to gain more playing time and experience.

Mühl, a former standout at UConn, was playing her first overseas game when she went down in the third quarter after grabbing a loose ball. She clutched her knee in pain and was quickly taken off the court on a stretcher. Although she briefly returned to the bench, the severity of the injury was later confirmed as an ACL tear, a major setback for the 23-year-old's budding career.

In an Instagram post following the injury, Mühl shared an emotional message with her followers.

 

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A post shared by Nika Mühl (@nika.muhl)

“Anyone that knows me knows I work my ass off all the time. This time isn’t gonna be any different,” she said. She expressed immense gratitude for the outpouring of love and support from fans and peers, saying, “Y'all really make this easier for my heart.”

Mühl's resilience shined through in the rest of her statement, as she emphasized her belief in perseverance. She described the injury as just another challenge for her to overcome, saying that it was “another opportunity for me to compete, this time against myself.” She added, “Not to be cocky, but that’s an easy W.”

Storm, former teammates rally around Nika Mühl

UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) hugs guard Nika Muhl (10) late in the fourth quarter as they take on the Georgetown Hoyas
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Following the injury, Mühl was flooded with messages of support, including one from her close friend and former UConn teammate, Paige Bueckers. Speaking to WTNH News, Bueckers expressed her faith in Mühl’s ability to overcome the injury.

“I talked to Nika before practice, before she got the news,” Bueckers said. “I know she's got a great support system here, and I know the journey ahead of her is not going to be easy, but if there's anything about Nika, I know that she'll crush it. She'll just want to destroy the entire rehab and coming back process.”

Bueckers, who herself suffered a torn ACL in 2022 and sat out the entire 2022-2023 college season, understands the grueling recovery process.

The Storm also shared a message of support for Mühl, tweeting, “Get well soon, Nika!”

Mühl entered the WNBA with high expectations after leaving making a mark at UConn, where she became the program’s all-time leader in assists and was twice named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year. However, her transition to the professional ranks has been challenging. Drafted 14th overall by the Seattle Storm in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Mühl’s rookie season didn’t provide the playing time she had hoped for. Throughout the 40-game season, Mühl appeared in just 16 games and did not start in any of them.

Her best performance came in the Storm’s regular-season finale on Sept. 19, where she played a season-high 14 minutes, recording two points, two rebounds, three assists and one steal Mühl overall averaged 3.6 minutes per game.