Former UConn point guard Nika Muhl received reassurance from college coach Geno Auriemma during a visit to her old stomping grounds this week. Auriemma told Muhl she had little reason to feel nervous after the Seattle Storm selected her in the second round of the 2024 WNBA Draft.
In an emotional meeting captured by UConn's social media team, Muhl told Auriemma she wasn't certain she would make the Storm's roster out of training camp, knowing WNBA spots are hard to come by. Auriemma responded: "Come on, stop. What do you mean, 'If you make the team?' It will take you one practice to figure out what you got to do to make the team."
"And then you just do that," continued Auriemma, who sat at a table next to Muhl at the draft earlier this month. "They drafted you for a reason. So do what they drafted you for. Bring a different culture to them." Muhl seemed to cheer up immediately after the remarks.
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WNBA Draft picks often face greater anxiety than draft selections in other professional sports leagues. There are a maximum of 144 players in the WNBA at any given time, and second-rounders frequently miss out on making the regular-season squads of the organizations that picked them.
The shortage of roster spots has led to calls for expansion as the rapid popularity growth of women's basketball presents an opportunity to enter new markets. "We just have so much talent, and the fact that there's so few roster spots [in the WNBA] is a shame," said fellow rookie Cameron Brink, who recently advocated for an expansion team in her hometown of Portland .
Few WNBA prospects drew more positive attention from scouts during the 2024 NCAA Tournament than Muhl, whose playmaking and defense received rave reviews. She helped UConn reach the Final Four where the Huskies lost a close game to Iowa.
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Muhl became a fan favorite and essential locker-room presence during her time at UConn. When she announced she would leave the program for the WNBA despite holding another year of NCAA eligibility, it brought teammate Paige Bueckers to tears .
"This is like my sister, my twin," Bueckers said through tears while sitting next to Muhl after UConn won the Big East Tournament. "She's been there for me through everything that I've been through."
On her decision to depart, a similarly emotional Muhl told reporters: "It's just a feeling when it's time for you to leave." Her move paid off, as she capitalized on her sky-high draft stock to join the Storm for preseason camp.
Seattle has a warm history with UConn products, which could work in Muhl's favor. Team legend Sue Bird came from the Huskies and went on to make 13 All-Star teams and win four titles in a career spent exclusively with the Storm.
Bird will be in Muhl's corner as she tries to nail down a long-term role with the rebuilding franchise.
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