Get to Know Portland Fire G Nika Mühl
Nika Mühl, a 24 year old guard from the Seattle Storm, was picked by the Portland Fire in yesterday's WNBA expansion draft.
With their final pick in yesterday’s WNBA expansion draft, the Portland Fire made a long-term investment.
Nika Mühl won’t play this season. The career of UConn’s all-time assist leader has been derailed by repeated knee injuries. If she can return to form next season, the Fire might have a future floor general.
This piece is one of eleven profile pieces spotlighting the career journeys of Portland’s expansion draft selections - the first professional women’s basketball players to represent the Rose City since 2002 - and the first members of Portland’s new WNBA team.
After flashing potential in her native country Croatia, Mühl drew interest from several major college basketball programs. In the Spring of 2019, she committed to UConn. Playing alongside Paige Bueckers, Aaliyah Edwards, and Azzi Fudd, Mühl was a star in her own right. In Storrs, she broke Sue Bird’s school assists record, set new marks for assists in a single game and a single season, and was twice named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year.
In the 2024 WNBA draft, Seattle selected Mühl in the second round. She made the team, and saw limited action as a rookie. Despite rarely seeing the court, head coach Noelle Quinn praised Mühl’s work ethic and toughness. Hungry for more playing experience after the season, the young guard signed with Turkish powers Beşiktaş. Unfortunately, her stint overseas featured the first of two consecutive season-ending injuries.
Mühl and her new Portland Fire teammates will return to the court later this Spring. The Fire’s regular season opener is at home May 9th against the Chicago Sky.
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Matt Bagley is a professional sportswriter and broadcaster with a passion for women’s sports. Outside of work, he cherishes quality time with his birth family, his chosen family, and one very pesky house panther.
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