Nika Muhl laces up in Paige Bueckers’ shoes as she begins recovery after major setback

Seattle Storm guard Nika Muhl seems to be on the road to recovery after she was spotted wearing Paige Bueckers’ shoes during an on-court workout. In an X post by WNBA reporter Roberta Rodriguez on Sunday, Muhl sported the Nike G.T. Hustle 3 Player Edition basketball shoe, designed by Bueckers in collaboration with the sportswear giants. This sneaker made Bueckers the first NIL university athlete to have their own shoe.

Muhl has had a rough start to her WNBA career. The Seattle Storm drafted her with the 14th pick during the second round of last year’s draft. However, she didn’t see a lot of action, playing just 57 minutes through 16 regular-season games.

After the end of the regular season, Muhl headed overseas and signed with Besiktas. Things took a turn for the worse as Nika tore her ACL in just her first match for Besiktas in October.

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Muhl is already back on the court, but she is expected to miss the entire 2025 season as Seattle has placed her on the suspended list. Muhl was teammates with Paige Bueckers during her time with the UConn Huskies. Nika made 131 appearances for UConn, recording 5.8 points, 5.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game.

Muhl’s numbers might not blow anyone away, but her impact goes beyond the stat sheet. She is an incredible playmaker and doesn’t shy away from doing her team's dirty work on the court. Hopefully, the 24-year-old will be back in the league next season.

Paige Bueckers hypes up former teammate Nika Muhl’s statement outfit for the 2025 WNBA Draft

Nika Muhl took to Instagram on April 19 to share pictures of her statement outfit from the draft. Muhl was seen wearing a black suit with a crop top underneath. She matched the outfit with sky blue pointed shoes, a black bag and a metallic chain. Muhl’s outfit drew reactions from many, including her UConn teammate Paige Bueckers.

“Better be a Mazda key on there😝,” Bueckers wrote.

Check out her reaction below:

Paige Bueckers' comment on Nika Muhl's Instagram post

During her time at the 2025 Draft, the UConn passout shared the orange carpet with Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, and more. Muhl, who is originally from Croatia, apparently had to travel 4,281 miles to be there at the draft, as revealed by her on Instagram.

We likely won't see Muhl and Bueckers share the court this season as the former continues to recover from an ACL tear. Hopefully, it won't be long before we get to see the UConn women face each other on a WNBA court.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by Debasish