Caitlin Clark and the Fever (0-4) are seeking their first win of the season Wednesday against the Storm. But they'll have to go through Nika Muhl.
Both Indiana and Seattle have gotten off to underwhelming starts, with just one win between the two teams. That combined win total will double when the Fever meet the Storm in Seattle for a 2024 Final Four reunion.
Former UConn defensive standout Nika Muhl is finally set to make her WNBA debut after her visa was approved. Muhl made an appearance for the Storm in the preseason but was sidelined for Seattle's first four regular season games as she awaited clearance.
Clark and her Iowa Hawkeyes met Muhl and the Huskies in the NCAA Tournament semifinals just six weeks ago. Iowa eked out a narrow win to advance to the national championship game.
Here's what to expect from Muhl and Clark in their first WNBA meeting, plus a look back at their Final Four battle.
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Will Nika Muhl guard Caitlin Clark in her WNBA debut?
Muhl came off the bench in her preseason debut and figures to come off the bench again to start her WNBA career, but she still figures to see some minutes for a struggling Storm team. That should allow her to spend some time guarding Clark, who is a priority for opposing defenses even after an up-and-down start to her Fever career.
As much as Muhl was a fan favorite at UConn, the 23-year-old guard is a second-round pick, and she isn't in line to immediately step into a major role for Seattle. Still, while she has a long way to go on the offensive end of the floor, her excellent defense and tenacity is likely enough to earn her immediate playing time. Muhl was a two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year with the Huskies.
Guarding Clark is critical for any WNBA defense, but it can also be a major opportunity for opposing teams after she struggled with turnovers over the first four games of her professional career. Clark is averaging 6.5 turnovers per game to, so part of Seattle's strategy might be to take advantage of her mistakes and hope that can be the difference in the game.
Muhl averaged 1.4 steals per game across her four seasons at UConn, so she's well-equipped to make something happen against a player who's still settling into the next level herself.
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Caitlin Clark stats vs. Nika Muhl
Muhl had an important role against Clark when the Huskies and Hawkeyes met in the Final Four. The results for UConn were solid but far from perfect in a 71-69 loss to Iowa.
Clark didn't have the scoring night she wanted — in fact, it was a rare game in which she didn't lead Iowa in scoring — but the Hawkeyes star still finished with 21 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and two steals in the win. Clark committed just four turnovers, below her average mark.
While a 21-9-7 line seems like a job well done, Clark's inefficiency was a factor in Iowa's prolific offense putting up just 71 points. She shot 7-of-18 from the floor, including 3-of-11 from 3-point range.
It's not easy to totally shut Clark down. Muhl did what she could against the Iowa star, but UConn wasn't able to take advantage, with just 69 points against a shaky Hawkeyes defense. A last-possession opportunity for the Huskies was quashed by an offensive foul call for an illegal screen.
Muhl won't have as much responsibility on her hands in her WNBA debut, but it's only fitting that she could go up against the same player she guarded in her last collegiate game just six weeks ago.
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Why hasn't Nika Muhl played for the Storm?
Visa issues kept Muhl off the court to start the 2024 WNBA season despite the rookie being in the U.S. and with the Storm.
Muhl is from Croatia and didn't arrive in the U.S. until she began her college career with the Huskies. She was able to play basketball at UConn on a student visa, but the process changed for her now that she is no longer a student.
Muhl played in one WNBA preseason game on her student visa but needed a work visa for the regular season. Now that the issue has been cleared up, Muhl can circle the date of her debut and start what she hopes will be a long WNBA journey powered by exactly what made her so endearing at UConn: defense.
