The year of Nika Mühl: 'I'm never going to forget those moments'

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• Notebook: Paige Bueckers' jammed thumb is "all good"

• Paige Bueckers tabbed as Big East Preseason Player of the Year

• Opponent preview: The contenders

• Opponent previews: The middle tier

Last week’s Weekly:

• Paige Bueckers making a difference in UConn's early practices

2023 becoming the year of Nika Mühl

2023 is shaping up to be the year of Nika Mühl.

UConn put Zagreb, Croatia on the itinerary for its European Tour this summer so that the senior point guard could show the team her hometown and play a game in front of friends and family. Then on Dec. 6, the Huskies will welcome Ball State to Gampel Pavilion so Mühl can take on her younger sister, Hana.

“I don't honestly know what to say,” Mühl said of all the program’s done for her. “It's crazy to think, like, looking back, if somebody told me my freshman year I would go to Croatia with this team and then my sister would come to Gampel and play in front of that crowd… I'm super, super thankful and grateful for that.”

During the team’s European trip, Mühl’s parents had the chance to see her play in person for the first time since she departed for UConn back in 2020. The team also toured her hometown and held a reception for her as well.

Mühl still can’t believe it all happened.

“Oh my god, it was so much fun. It was amazing. It was honestly the trip of a lifetime. I’m never going to forget those moments,” she said. “I'm so excited for my girls to be able to see something different, see where I come from the words, get a little glimpse of like my lifestyle and meet my family. They met my friends, it was just unreal.”

Those European exhibitions won’t be the only time Mühl’s parents see her play in a UConn uniform, though. They’re set to fly in from Croatia for the Huskies’ matchup with Ball State and will stay through their following contest against North Carolina on Dec. 10.

“It feels like I'm giving back a little bit to my parents with that experience,” Mühl said. “They've been (to Storrs) when I visited here but they’ve never been for a game. They’ve never watched a game at Gampel.”

So how will her parents deal with their two kids playing against each other? Mühl isn’t sure.

“I don't even know what they're gonna wear, who they're gonna cheer for,” she said. “It’s gonna be crazy for them but I’m just excited for them to feel the love, feel the presence of those people. They're so passionate about us for all these years.”

One thing Mühl has no doubt about? She’ll come out on top against her sister.

“We're gonna win,” she said. “Yeah, of course.”

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