Skip to main content
Women's Fastbreak On SI

Nika Muhl Jokes About Geno Auriemma Benching Her Amid Heartwarming UConn Reunion

Former UConn Huskies star Nika Muhl had a hilarious line about Geno Auriemma when discussing being back at her alma mater.
Grant Young|
Nov 8, 2023; Hartford, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma talks with guard Nika Muhl (10) from the sideline as they take on the Dayton Flyers at XL Center. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Nov 8, 2023; Hartford, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma talks with guard Nika Muhl (10) from the sideline as they take on the Dayton Flyers at XL Center. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

A few hours before the UConn Huskies women's basketball team's February 12 home game against St. John's University, the program's X account posted a photo of head coach Geno Auriemma smiling and chatting courtside with some brunette whose face wasn't shown.

"We have a surprise for you…," the post's caption wrote.

It didn't take Huskies fans long to guess who Auriemma was speaking to — which the account confirmed just a few minutes later, showing Auriemma sitting alongside former UConn standout Nika Muhl.

Muhl is one of the most beloved Huskies players in recent memory, as her tenacity, toughness, and defensive excellence (which led to her being a two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year winner) was a massive asset to the UConn teams she played on.

Muhl is now playing professional basketball. Unfortunately, she tore her ACL while playing overseas after her rookie season with the Seattle Storm and will likely miss the entire 2025 WNBA season as a result.

But that didn't dampen Muhl's spirits during her return to UConn.

At one point in her alma mater's dominant win over St. John's, Muhl spoke with SNY's Chelsea Sherrod, who asked the Croatian star whether it was weird being back at UConn's Harry A. Gampel Pavilion.

"To be honest, it doesn't," Muhl said, per SNY. "I feel like I never left. I feel like only a couple weeks ago, I had that realization that I'm actually not here anymore. So it feels like I'm on the bench and not playing.

"[Auriemma] benched me, that's what it feels like," Muhl added with a laugh.

It's cool to see Muhl back at her old stomping grounds and in good spirits while she's on the mend from injury.

Recommended Reading:

Published
Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

Share on XFollow GrvntYoung
Home/News