It’s been an eventful week for WNBA guard Nika Mühl.
Earlier this week, Mühl announced that she underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL. She suffered the injury on March 11 during the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket Qualifiers. It’s actually the second time she has torn her ACL in the past two years. The first injury occurred in October 2024 while she was playing overseas for Turkish Super League club Besiktas.
Advertisement
“October 2024 & March 2026. S*** happens twice but so does the get back,” Mühl wrote on social media. “Thank you for all the love.”
Apr 15, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Nika Muhl speaks in an interview after she is selected with the number fourteen overall pick to the Seattle Storm in the 2024 WNBA Draft at Brooklyn Academy of Music. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports© Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images.
(© Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images.)
Just days after Mühl underwent surgery, she was selected by the Portland Fire during the 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft.
After the Fire selected Mühl, the Seattle Storm said farewell to her with a lengthy press release.
” During the 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft, the Portland Fire utilized their pick to acquire the player contract of Nika Mühl from the Seattle Storm,” the team said in a statement. “A 5-11 guard from Zagreb, Croatia, Mühl established herself as one of the top passers in UConn history. She was a two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year and shut down two of the NCAA’s top scorers in Dyaisha Fair and Caitlin Clark during UConn’s 2024 NCAA tournament run. Mühl was named to the AP All-America Honorable Mention squad in 2024 and earned All-Big East recognition for three straight seasons. “
Advertisement
It’s a new beginning for Mühl.
Unfortunately for Mühl, she only averaged 3.6 minutes per game during her rookie season with the Storm. Fans thought the two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year would make an immediate impact in the WNBA.
Although she won’t get to play this season due to injury, Mühl should have a bigger role in Toronto once she’s healthy.
We’re wishing Mühl all the best in her recovery process.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Apr 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
