Seattle Storm rookie guard Nika Muhl is set to make her WNBA debut Wednesday against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever after resolving visa issues. Muhl, who was selected as the 14th overall pick from UConn, had been waiting for her student visa to be converted to a P1A work visa, causing her to miss the first four games of the season.
“The process is complete, so she will be with us tonight and have an opportunity to step on to the court,” Seattle coach Noelle Quinn said, as reported by Kevin Pelton of ESPN after the team’s shootaround Wednesday morning.
Muhl participated in the Storm’s training camp and played in a preseason game against the Phoenix Mercury but was absent for the regular season games due to her visa delay. Her absence left Kiana Williams as the only point guard on the roster behind starter Skylar Diggins-Smith, with veteran Sami Whitcomb also stepping in at the point. The Storm has struggled to a 1-3 start in her absence.
Given the Storm’s recent travel-heavy schedule, there have been few opportunities for team practices.
“A lot of her preparation obviously through film, but also we got some extra workouts with her I think when we were in Washington and in New York as well,” Quinn said. “Not a lot of team stuff because we didn’t practice but a lot of individual work.”
