Nika Muhl and WNBA Draft

[jdote33]

It's such a hard league to assess. Some players you would expect to make it didn't and vice versa. I know Didi Richards had a couple of seasons in the league and she wasn't the shooter Nika is. Idk, I think a lot of teams even make sense for her. I don't think Phoenix has a backup point guard. Atlanta also, even Chicago although they seem to have quite a few signed for training camp. I don't see y Nika can't be a Helen Darling type, like at worst.

 

[Rowdy831]

Ask Maddie Siegrist. She got very few minutes last season. What a waste of talent.

Maddie is a liability on defense. The WNBA still plays a little D and if you are one dimensional then you will struggle a couple years for playing time. I think she is one that will have a chance to succeed but may need a year or two to develop.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

According to this WNBA mock draft Nika could go 1st round!
2024 WNBA Final Mock Draft

FIRST ROUND

1. Caitlin Clark, Iowa - Indiana Fever
2. Cameron Brink, Stanford - Los Angeles Sparks
3. Rickea Jackson, Tennessee - Chicago Sky
4. Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina - Los Angeles Sparks
5. Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State - Dallas Wings
6. Aaliyah Edwards, UConn - Washington Mystics
7. Angel Reese, LSU - Minnesota Lynx
8. Nyadiew Pouch, Australia - Chicago Sky
9. Georgia Amoore, Virginia Tech - Dallas Wings
10. Alissa Pili, Utah - Connecticut Sun
11. Charisma Osborne, UCLA - New York Liberty
12. Nika Muhl, UConn - Atlanta Dream

 

[Geew1992]

According to this WNBA mock draft Nika could go 1st round!
2024 WNBA Final Mock Draft

FIRST ROUND

1. Caitlin Clark, Iowa - Indiana Fever
2. Cameron Brink, Stanford - Los Angeles Sparks
3. Rickea Jackson, Tennessee - Chicago Sky
4. Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina - Los Angeles Sparks
5. Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State - Dallas Wings
6. Aaliyah Edwards, UConn - Washington Mystics
7. Angel Reese, LSU - Minnesota Lynx
8. Nyadiew Pouch, Australia - Chicago Sky
9. Georgia Amoore, Virginia Tech - Dallas Wings
10. Alissa Pili, Utah - Connecticut Sun
11. Charisma Osborne, UCLA - New York Liberty
12. Nika Muhl, UConn - Atlanta Dream

Well considering Amoore is playing at Kentucky next year, not sure how valid this list is.

 

[bboyshr]

If I had a choice, I would like to see both Aaliyah and Nika drafted by the Lynx. I would hope Dallas drafts neither.

As a Croatian living in Minneapolis I would like nothing more than that! Players like that both on and off the court could be what the Lynx need to regain their legacy!

 

[JoePgh]

Somehow I landed on the mailing list for "The Next", an email newsletter about WBB, both college and pro. This morning they produced a new mock draft with extremely detailed evaluations of each player. They had Aaliyah at #4, behind only Clark, Brink, and a Spanish point guard. They projected her "Future Value" as an above-average WNBA starter. More relevant to this thread, they have Nika at #13. I'm going to take a slight liberty (no pun intended) and try to paste in their full evaluation of Nika, since I don't have any way to link to an email. Here it is:

13. Nika Mühl, point guard, UConn​

Age: 23

Height: 5'10

Wingspan: 5'9

Offensive style: Primary ball-handler Defensive style: Point of attack

Similar to: Ticha Penicheiro, Ricky Rubio

​ Nika Mühl has shown exactly the kind of player she is over and over in her time at Connecticut: A hard-nosed defender who will take on the most difficult perimeter assignment, run the offense, and hit the occasional spot-up three at a fairly high rate. Mühl is very much a traditional point guard. She is the all-time assists leader at UConn, an excellent passer and active playmaker who runs offense at a very high level. She has proven herself to be a reluctantly capable shooter, and isn’t going to do much in terms of creating her own shot. Mühl’s shooting form is clunky and she does not have the quickest release, but she has made 37% of her 3-pointers over the last two seasons. She can pass off of the drive as well, but given her reluctance to actually get to the rim and finish, defenses don’t exactly go into rotation to have to stop her. Defense is what makes Mühl a WNBA prospect. She doesn’t have gaudy block or steal numbers but she’s fundamentally sound, supremely quick and extraordinarily strong for a guard. She consistently blows up actions before they can get started because of her positioning and anticipation, and provides elite ball pressure and ball-denial. She loves to pick up opposing ball handlers full-court and deny them the ball in the halfcourt, and she does it all without fouling much — as Clark learned the hard way last Friday. But for a guard as good at defending in isolation as Mühl is, she is surprisingly average at navigating ball screens, though given her ability to flip her hips on the drive, that may be teachable. Why she'll succeed: Mühl shows herself to be one of the best guard defenders in the world and ups her shooting volume to command enough defensive attention to open her passing and game-management. Why she'll fail: Mühl continues to pass up open shots, fails to make defenses care about her when she has the ball, and her defense slides a bit with more ball screen reps and without the Huskies’ defensive infrastructure. Ceiling comps: Jasmine Thomas, Rajon Rondo Floor comps: If Tully Bevilaqua was a reluctant shooter, Kendall Marshall

Their overall evaluation is that she is a draftable reserve in the WNBA.

 

[ShmiCO]

I think Nika should concentrate on European basketball, where she can make more $, and be close to home. At best, she will be a second round WNBA draft pick. Despite her great defense and adequate three point shot, her ability to create her own shot is suspect.

I have loved her for four years. Her drive, intensity and spirit have been infectious at UConn. But my analysis of her skills is, by necessity,
dispassionate.

I agree 100%. Nika will be a star in Europe. Once she starts to develope a jump shot and create her own shot, add in her defense, she'll be the steal of the wnba draft in 2025

I agree with your views, but I think Nika should still go through the WNBA draft experience this year. Learn how it's run, make some contacts with agents and coaching staffs, maybe talk about what they're looking for and what she's missing. Actually making a team is super hard and probably unlikely for Nika but some personal contact with folks in the WNBA world can help inform her plans going forward.

 

[Zarathustra]

Maddie is a liability on defense. The WNBA still plays a little D and if you are one dimensional then you will struggle a couple years for playing time. I think she is one that will have a chance to succeed but may need a year or two to develop.

With her trouble covering Caitlin Clark... this Siegrist comment reminds me of
5'7" (maybe) Hailey Van Lith. Good luck to Maddie and Hailey, and Amari,
and Ines... and those hundreds of PORTAL and WNBA hopefuls.

 

[CL82]

According to this WNBA mock draft Nika could go 1st round!
2024 WNBA Final Mock Draft

FIRST ROUND

1. Caitlin Clark, Iowa - Indiana Fever
2. Cameron Brink, Stanford - Los Angeles Sparks
3. Rickea Jackson, Tennessee - Chicago Sky
4. Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina - Los Angeles Sparks
5. Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State - Dallas Wings
6. Aaliyah Edwards, UConn - Washington Mystics
7. Angel Reese, LSU - Minnesota Lynx
8. Nyadiew Pouch, Australia - Chicago Sky
9. Georgia Amoore, Virginia Tech - Dallas Wings
10. Alissa Pili, Utah - Connecticut Sun
11. Charisma Osborne, UCLA - New York Liberty
12. Nika Muhl, UConn - Atlanta Dream

2024 WNBA Mock Draft 3.0: Where will LSU star Angel Reese land after declaring?

 

[Zarathustra]

2024 WNBA Mock Draft 3.0: Where will LSU star Angel Reese land after declaring?

View attachment 99312
View attachment 99313

It will be interesting to see how this "mock draft" gets scrambled by the reality of the WNBA coaches and general
Managers! Don't we love surprises!!?? HOW ABOUT SWITCHING THE TEAMS FOR SELECTIONS # 6 AND # 7 IN
THIS wnba DRAFT? SEE LIST ABOVE!

 

[CL82]

It will be interesting to see how this "mock draft" gets scrambled by the reality of the WNBA coaches and general
Managers! Don't we love surprises!!?? HOW ABOUT SWITCHING THE TEAMS FOR SELECTIONS # 6 AND # 7 IN
THIS wnba DRAFT? SEE LIST ABOVE!

Nika to the Dream would be a great landing spot for her.

 

[Crossover]

Maddie is a liability on defense. The WNBA still plays a little D and if you are one dimensional then you will struggle a couple years for playing time. I think she is one that will have a chance to succeed but may need a year or two to develop.

Maddie is also undersized for the post in the pros, and does not make for it with length, quickness, and guile a la Pheesa.

 

[cgshuskie]

Nika is not good for Atlanta - she needs to go to a great running team that needs a point guard. Her 3, with more work, will be a deadly
weapon in the W. Go Nika

 

[HopJim]

Nika will likely go wherever she has the best chance of maximizing her compensation. With the WNBA having evolved to a scorers league, predict that Nika will spend most of her time in Europe or Asia. Based on the competition, Nika could be spectacular there, perhaps the face of a league or team. In the US, for all her skills, unlikely for her to be more than part of a sub rotation.

 

[BRS24]

ESPN just updated its mock draft - Second round, 14. Seattle Storm: Nika Muhl, UConn, PG, 5-10

 

[PacoSwede]

the Athletic has nika going to the Liberty in 1st round. it's impressed with her defense and her facilitating on offense is a bonus.

A mea culpa on my part, as I did not appreciate how impressive Mühl was defensively until seeing her in person. She is strong and tough and causes real difficulty for opposing ballhandlers, including getting Caitlin Clark and JuJu Watkins out of rhythm. The Liberty need to shore up their backcourt defensively, and Mühl is already comfortable taking on the toughest assignments. She’s also an excellent passer and can hit spot-ups; she shot 42.6 percent on catch-and-shoot jumpers her senior season. UConn was 15.2 points per 100 possessions better offensively with Mühl on the court in 2023-24, and that’s the lesser part of her game. Celeste Taylor was in consideration here because of her defensive gifts, but Mühl’s overall package gave her the nod.

 

[BRS24]

Nika invited to the draft -

 

[cancontent]

 

[BRS24]

 

[darrell]

Nika to NY? I’m sure the girls would love that.

 

[oldude]

I’m sure that Caitlin Clark is pulling for Nika to be drafted high…..like the 1st pick, in the 2nd round by the Indiana Fever…..

 

[#12in21]

I’m sure that Caitlin Clark is pulling for Nika to be drafted high…..like the 1st pick, in the 2nd round by the Indiana Fever…..

Then she can quote Azzi who said (paraphrase) 'if she wasn't on my team and I had to play against her I would absolutely hate her' and say she knows exactly what Azzi means and that she is really glad Nika will be her teammate!

 

[Audi1954]

Oh I hope Nika doesn’t get drafted by Indiana. I’m looking forward to the Clark/Muhl games.

 

[Jaml]

I’m sure that Caitlin Clark is pulling for Nika to be drafted high…..like the 1st pick, in the 2nd round by the Indiana Fever…..

Yeah, I'm not so sure Caitlin would look forward to being face guarded by Nika every day in practice.

 

[jeff30189]

View attachment 99477

Now THAT'S funny, I don't care who you are......