“Power of Nika Muhl in attendance”: College hoops fans impressed after Paige Bueckers' all-round performance vs St. John’s

Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies won 78-40 against the St. John's Red Storm on Wednesday. The graduate senior guard played 28 minutes and finished with 16 points, six rebounds, four assists, four steals and a career-high five blocks.

The Huskies posted about Bueckers' incredible outing on Instagram on Thursday. Listing her stats from the night in the caption, they wrote:

"Paige Bueckers did everything vs. St. John's"

Fans praised Paige Bueckers and linked her impressive performance to former UConn guard Nika Muhl's presence at the game. Muhl and Bueckers played four years together before Muhl moved to the WNBA in 2024 and now plays for the Seattle Storm.

"The power of Nika Muhl in attendance," one fan wrote.

"See (Nika Muhl) this is what happens when you come home... 🥲💙," another commented.

"Paige Blockers popped out tonight," one wrote.

Fan reactions to Bueckers' performance and Nika Muhl's presence (Credit: Instagram/@uconwbb)

With their latest win, the UConn Huskies extend their undefeated run in the Big East conference to 14-0. However, they are No. 7 in the AP rankings, with a 23-3 overall record.

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When Nika Muhl spoke about her close bond with Paige Bueckers

During the 2023-24 season, Nika Muhl, Paige Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards formed a core trio that led the Huskies to the Final Four despite losing six players to injuries.

After winning the Big East Championship in March 2024, Muhl was asked about her friendship with Bueckers.

"I'm just so grateful and thankful to the universe that I was able to come across a person like that," she said. "I mean, thankful to coach, you know, for recruiting us at the same time and bringing us here. That's my best friend, that's my sister. She's been holding me down since the start.

"People see us laugh, people see as a joke. It's always fun with us, but behind the scenes, that's my ride or die and that's my best friend that I can always rely on and call and talk to and I know she'll always be there for me. On the court stuff, all that is great. I enjoy it so much, but it's off the courts; the fact that I know in 30 years, she's still going to be my best friend. I love her so much."

With Nika Muhl now in the WNBA, Paige Bueckers will soon be joining her. The guard is predicted to be one of the top picks for the 2025 WNBA draft.