Storm rookie Nika Mühl tore a cruciate ligament in her first game abroad in Turkey

Nika Mühl, who just finished her rookie season with the Seattle Storm, suffered a torn cruciate ligament during an international game in Turkey. Mühl suffered the injury in her first game with Turkish basketball team Besiktas during the FIBA ​​Women's Super Cup against Fenerbahce Opet on Thursday.

In the third quarter of the game, Muehl grabbed a loose ball and fell to the ground, clutching her left knee and screaming in pain. She was later carried off the pitch on a stretcher.

In a post written in Turkish

“Today Nika’s injury ruined all our morale,” Arseven wrote. “I wish her a speedy recovery.”

The game, which was due to take place on Wednesday, was postponed after fans threw firecrackers onto the pitch.

Mühl's Storm teammate Gabby Williams, who plays for Fenerbahce, stayed with Mühl as they waited for the stretcher and comforted her. Williams was named the game's MVP after helping Fenerbahce to a 79-63 win and their second straight SuperCup title.

Paige Bueckers, Muehl's former UConn teammate and close friend, wrote a message of support for Muehl on social media.

“Nothing my twin can’t overcome. I will destroy this comeback trip! Thank God,” Bueckers wrote in a post on X.

Despite the growth the WNBA has experienced this year, salaries in the league are still comparatively low, prompting many players to choose to play overseas during the WNBA offseason. Foreign leagues tend to pay significantly more than the WNBA, which incentivizes players to join them during the off-season months.

Muehl, who was selected 14th overall in the 2024 draft, earned just $69,267 below the current WNBA base salary in her rookie season. (For comparison, the average annual salary in the United States is $59,384; the 14th overall NBA pick in 2023 earned $3,591,300 during his rookie year.) The Croatian-born guard will be in her first Expected to earn $305,957 in four years in the NBA league.

Mühl saw limited minutes in her rookie season with Seattle and scored her first career WNBA points in the final regular season game of the year. It's unclear what the timeline will be for Muehl's injury or whether it will impact her return to the Storm when the 2025 WNBA season begins next spring.