Starting Five: Nika Mühl on the precipice of history

Nika Mühl is on the cusp of history: The senior point guard is just two assists to surpass Moriah Jefferson as the program’s all-time leader. Mühl currently sits at 658 while Jefferson tops the list with 659.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, she’ll do so in UConn’s second round matchup vs. Syracuse. Not only is Mühl averaging 6.4 on the season, she’s dished out at least two helpers in every single game over the last two seasons. The last time she failed to set up multiple baskets in a contest was the Elite Eight vs. NC State on Mar. 22, 2022 — nearly two full years ago.

As remarkable as the feat would be, Mühl is trying not to think about it.

“I mean, it’d be a pretty cool thing. I don't know, it's hard for me to answer that question because that's not necessarily what I'm really focused on,” she said. “It's there. It's trying to be a distraction for me, but I'm trying to not get distracted. I’m just playing my game and finding my teammates, doing what I'm supposed to do for this team. Then what happens will happen.”

The big question isn’t so much if Mühl will get the record, but who scores the basketball to get her there. Edwards was on the receiving end of her first assist back in their collegiate debuts vs. UMass Lowell in 2020 as well as her 500th and 600th. That would be fitting.

“I'm sure she's gonna be very, very eager to get that one, too,” Mühl said about Edwards.

In the past, Paige Bueckers has jokingly complained that she wasn’t the one to get Mühl to a previous milestone, though that was during the regular season. This is the NCAA Tournament and while Bueckers is hopeful it’ll be her, she’s more focused on advancing.

“I want to of course but during this time of the season, you're grateful for any buckets, any assists. We're all just trying to win,” Bueckers said. “So I mean, I say that but I want to be the one to break it.”

Mühl isn’t all that concerned about who it goes to, either. She’s open to all possibilities.

“I don't care if it's one of the freshmen, I feel like that's gonna be so, so cool,” Mühl said. “If it's one of my older, fellow seniors that's been here for four years, that's going to be cool. So I don't know. If I pass it to Coach (Geno Auriemma) out of bounds and he shoots and makes it, that's gonna be even cooler.”

Once Mühl ultimately breaks the record, she’ll have a strong claim to being the greatest passer in UConn history. Not only will be be the all-time assists leader, she also has the school’s single-game and single-season records. Mühl dished out 15 helpers vs. NC State in Nov. 2022 and piled up 284 assists during that same campaign.

That shattered Sue Bird’s mark of 231 which stood untouched for over 20 years. Mühl could pass it again this season — she has 225 assists entering the second round.

That means Monday is setting up to be an historic day in Storrs.

Edwards also climbing up the record books

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