Seattle Storm guard Nika Mühl suffered what appeared to be a serious knee injury while playing for Besiktas in Turkey on Thursday during a game against Fenerbahce. The former UConn standout was injured in the third quarter after grabbing a loose ball. Mühl collapsed to the floor, clutching her left knee in visible pain and was quickly stretchered off the court in a video shared on X, formerly Twitter, by Maggie Vanoni of CT Insider, via Beşiktaş Haber. She was later seen returning to the bench as the game neared its end, offering a small measure of hope.

Gabby Williams, another former UConn player who currently plays for Fenerbahce, was among the first to reach Mühl after she went down, offering her support as medical staff attended to the injured player. Williams and Mühl also shared a hug after the game.

As of now, there has been no official update on the severity of Mühl’s injury. Both Besiktas and the Storm, Mühl’s current WNBA team, expressed their well-wishes on social media, hoping for a speedy recovery.

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Mühl, who is from Zagreb, Croatia, joined Besiktas just this week following her rookie season in the WNBA with the Storm. Though she had limited playing time in her first year in Seattle — averaging 3.6 minutes across 16 games – Mühl's potential as a strong defensive player was evident from her college career. At UConn, she played four seasons, becoming a two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year and setting school records for single-season and career assists. Mühl’s contributions were integral to the Huskies’ success, helping lead them to the Final Four in her final season.

Known for her durability throughout her college career, Mühl played in at least 33 games in each of her last three seasons at UConn, never missing a game in her final season according to Kels Dayton of the Hartford Courant. The injury suffered on Thursday is the first significant setback for the 23-year-old since joining the professional ranks.

Mühl’s injury comes after the Storm were eliminated from the WNBA playoffs in the first round by the Las Vegas Aces. Although she didn’t see much action during her rookie season, Mühl has been highly regarded for her defensive skills and playmaking ability.