UConn star Paige Bueckers gets emotional as Nika Muhl drops emotional message after being drafted by Seattle: "I'm not ready"

Former UConn Huskies guard Nika Muhl was recently picked No. 14 by the Seattle Storm in the 2024 WNBA Draft, with former teammate Paige Bueckers looking on at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York.

Muhl recently posted her farewell and thanksgiving message after draft night on Instagram.

"A surreal night filled with moments I will never forget, and I got to share it with people I love the most. Whether they were at my table, in the audience, in Connecticut or all the way in Croatia - I felt your love and my heart is full because of you. Family forever. @seattlestorm , I’m ready 😏"

Bueckers, who confirmed her return to UConn for a fifth year, commented on Muhl's farewell post, reflecting on the parting of two good friends who were recruited to the Huskies together.

"I'm not ready," Bueckers commented. "So proud tho."

After winning the Big East tournament title a few weeks ago, Nika Muhl revealed that Paige Bueckers was her best friend and gushed about their friendship.

"I'm just so grateful and thankful to the universe that I was able to get out and come across a person like that. I mean thankful to coach for recruiting us at the same time and bringing us here. That's my best friend, my sister," Muhl said.

Nika Muhl draws comparisons to Sue Bird

Nika Muhl wore the No. 10 jersey at UConn which led Seattle Storm fans to draw parallels between the guard and one of the most renowned WNBA legends, Sue Bird who also wore the same number for UConn.

Bird was picked No. 1 by the Storm in 2002 and she went on to make the franchise one of the biggest in the WNBA winning four championships with them before her retirement two years ago.

Talisa Rhea, the Seattle Storm General Manager, expressed her delight at Muhl's acquisition, revealing that they did not expect a player of her quality to still be available in the second round when they made their pick.

“We thought that she would go in the first round so we were really excited when she was still available,” Rhea said. "But we’re really excited for Nika to get here and get integrated with the rest of our team. We’ll see how camp goes and how our roster shapes up."

Nika Muhl will have her work cut out for her but she told Storm fans exactly what she would bring to their team which was her defensive awareness, vastly different from the offensive force that Sue Bird was.

Muhl joins a roster that was bolstered by free agents Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith and will hope that she can make the regular season roster of 12 players, which currently includes 8 players returning from last season's squad.