Seattle Storm rookie Nika Muhl, the No. 14 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, will make her professional debut on Wednesday night against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. Muhl had missed the team's first four games due to visa issues.
It's official! 😜 pic.twitter.com/vdkWxHrStz
— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) May 22, 2024
Muhl is a Croatian citizen and once she graduated from UConn earlier this month, her student visa expired. While she waited for her P-1 athlete visa to be secured, she was unable to play for the Storm. Though the United States approved it on Friday, Howard Megdal reported that Muhl needed a status change, which required a trip to Canada.
The U.S. Consulate in Vancouver posted a picture of Muhl with Consul General Jim DeHart to social media on Tuesday.
CG DeHart was glad to meet @WNBA star @MuhlNika today in Vancouver. We look forward to seeing the @SeattleStorm vs @IndianaFever Wednesday. Including an exciting Women’s Final Four rematch at the point guard position! pic.twitter.com/5QOiUwSImp
— USConsulateVancouver (@usconsvancouver) May 21, 2024
Muhl's clearance is a major boost to a Storm team that is off to a disappointing 1-3 start and lacks depth, particularly in the backcourt. Starting guards Jewell Loyd and Skylar Diggins-Smith are averaging 35.1 and 33.1 minutes per game, respectively.
"It's going to be good to have Nika in the mix, just to have another point guard on the floor," Storm head coach Noelle Quinn said last week. "And taking about the leadership, the presence that she has, what she can do defensively. She is all of 5'10", 5'11", whatever she's listed at, and she's very tough and strong and physical.
"I think that allows us to make some different lineups. It allows us to put Skylar on the wing a little bit more. And, the intangibles that she brings are missing at the moment. So just waiting on her to get back in the mix and see what she can do."
Muhl was never much of a scorer in college, but she knows how to run an offense, is a reliable 3-point shooter and gets after it defensively. Her performance guarding Clark in the Final Four raised her profile and shot her up the draft boards, so it's fitting that the two will meet again on Wednesday in Muhl's debut.