What is Nika Muhl nationality? Heritage and more explored

UConn Huskies guard Nika Muhl came into the biggest limelight of her career when she was given the tough assignment of guarding Caitlin Clark in the Final Four game against Iowa. Although the Huskies lost, Muhl ensured the game remained tight as the Hawkeyes won 71-69. From her birthplace to her nationality, let’s take a look at the UConn guard's personal life.

Born on April 9, 2001, in Zagreb, Croatia, Muhl has Croatian nationality and spent her childhood in her home country. Before coming to the U.S. and committing to the University of Connecticut, she played for ŽKK Trešnjevka 2009 in the Croatian Premijer Liga.

Not a lot is known about her parents, Darko and Roberta Mühl, but reportedly they also played basketball before being sidelined due to injuries. Her father, Darko, owns a graphic design business in Croatia and previously told CT Insider that Nika always had a different energy about her.

“She was a handful at a very, very early age," Darko Muhl said. "She wouldn’t sit in one place for 10 seconds. She was just like that basically since she was a little kid. Too much energy.”

Nika Muhl also admitted that since her childhood, she has had the habit of running around, not knowing where or how she would come back.

Perhaps it is not widely known, but Nika Muhl has a younger sister who also plays college basketball. Hana Muhl represents the Ball State Cardinals in NCAA Division I. The sisters have a two-year age difference between them. They also faced each other in December 2023 in an NCAA game, with UConn trumping Ball State 90-63.

Overview of Nika Muhl’s basketball career and WNBA draft projection

Nika Muhl is projected to be one of the top picks in the 2024 WNBA draft on Monday night. The Athletic and Yahoo Sports have projected her as a top-12 draft pick this year. The Athletic has her at No. 11, and Yahoo Sports has her at No. 9.

Muhl played four seasons with ZKK Tresnjevka from 2016 to 2020 before joining UConn. She chose the Huskies over the likes of Ohio State, South Florida, Oregon and Louisville.

She later said that she chose the Huskies because of coach Geno Auriemma, who was impressed with Muhl. Interestingly, Auriemma visited the guard in Croatia and convinced her to join his program.

Nika Muhl has established herself as one of the best players in women's college basketball. In her four years with the UConn Huskies, Muhl broke several records in assists. She has the highest total assists in UConn history with 686. She also left behind UConn greats like Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird, who is the WNBA leader in total assists.

Muhl also holds the UConn record for the highest assist in a game (15) and the top two records for the highest total assists in a season. She recorded 284 assists during the 2022-23 season and 253 assists in the 2023-24 season. It will be interesting to see where Muhl lands in the 2024 WNBA draft.

Believe it or not, Dennis Rodman is Nika Muhl’s favorite player, and it does make sense with the energy she brings to the court.