Paige Bueckers shared a message of support for Nika Muhl after Muhl suffered her second ACL tear during a game on March 11, while representing Croatia in the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket Qualifiers.
Bueckers previously played alongside Muhl as teammates at UConn. After Muhl posted photos on Instagram following her surgery, the 2025 Rookie of the Year responded with a heartfelt message.
“Two new and improved knees incoming,” Bueckers commented on Muhl’s post alongside three smiley emojis.
This marked Muhl’s second ACL tear. Her first occurred in 2024 during the third quarter of her debut game with Turkish club Besiktas against Fenerbahce Opet in the FIBA Women’s Super Cup, when she chased a loose ball but collapsed while clutching her left knee in pain. She was later stretchered off the court.
The team subsequently confirmed that Muhl had suffered a torn left ACL.
Following that injury, Bueckers expressed confidence in her teammate’s resilience, saying:
“Nothing my twin can’t overcome. Gonna destroy this comeback journey! God speed🙏🏼🫶🏼.”
According to the Seattle Storm, Muhl is expected to miss the 2026 WNBA season after sustaining her second ACL tear.
“She is taking steps towards a healthy recovery and updates on her progress and return to play will be made public when available,” the team said in a statement.
Nika Muhl Once Thanked Paige Bueckers for Support During ACL Recovery
Bueckers also dealt with major knee injuries during her time at UConn, most notably a torn ACL in August 2022 that sidelined her for the entire 2022-23 season. At that time, Muhl was her teammate and provided support throughout her recovery.
Now that Muhl is the one dealing with injury and Bueckers is offering encouragement, Muhl previously revealed that Bueckers was a key source of support for her.
In an interview with ESPN in September 2025, Muhl explained what helped her stay strong:
“Having in mind all of my previous teammates at UConn who have gone through this. Specifically, Paige, to see her go through it has shown me that I can do it too
“When you are next to somebody every single day and you see them go through stuff like that, you get a different sense of appreciation for the game. You see how much they miss the game, and you don’t understand it until you’re in it.”
Muhl, who had a standout collegiate career at UConn, was selected in the second round of the 2024 WNBA Draft.
She saw limited playing time with the Storm, but in the team’s 2024 regular-season finale, she recorded her first field goal and finished with a career-high two points, along with personal bests in assists (three), rebounds (two), minutes played (14) and field goal attempts (five).
