Nika Mühl, who just completed her rookie season with the Seattle Storm, suffered a torn ACL while playing overseas in Turkey. Mühl suffered the injury on Thursday during her first match with Turkish basketball team Besiktas during the FIBA Women’s Super Cup against Fenerbahce Opet.
In the third quarter of the game, Mühl picked up a loose ball and fell to the ground, holding her left knee as she screamed in pain. She was later carried off the field.
In a post on
“Today Nika’s injury ruined our entire morale,” Arseven wrote. “I wish her a speedy recovery.”
Kızlarımızı zım mucadeleleri in tebrik ediyorum.
Bugun Nika’nın sakatlığı ile tüm morallerimiz bozuldu. Çekilen Mr is in control of the kopma of my geldiğini öğrenmiş bulunmaktayız. Oyuncumuzmaalesef sezonu kapattı. Kendisine şifalar diliyorum.
Bundan… https://t.co/NhxgPNsktl
— Özkan Arseven (@ozkanarseven) October 3, 2024
The match, which was supposed to take place on Wednesday, was postponed after fans threw fireworks on the field.
Mühl’s Storm teammate Gabby Williams, who plays for Fenerbahce, stayed with Mühl as they waited for the stretcher and comforted her. Williams went on to win the match’s MVP after helping Fenerbahce to a 79-63 victory and their second straight SuperCup title.
Despite the growth the WNBA has experienced this year, salaries in the league are still relatively low, prompting many players to play abroad in the offseason. Overseas leagues typically pay significantly more than the WNBA, which gives players an incentive to join them during the offseason months.
Mühl, who was the 14th overall pick in the 2024 draft out of UConn, made just $69,267 under the current WNBA base salary in her rookie season. (For context, the average annual salary in the United States is $59,384; the 2023 NBA 14th overall pick, meanwhile, earned $3,591,300 during his rookie year.) The Croatian-born guard is expected to make $305,957 during her first four years in the competition. competition.
Mühl had limited minutes in her rookie season with Seattle and picked up her first career WNBA points in the final regular season game of the year. It is unclear what the timeline will be for Mühl’s injury, and whether it will impact her return to the Storm when the 2025 WNBA season begins next spring.
