Portland Fire chose a player who can’t even participate in the 2026 WNBA season. The expansion draft was an opportunity to build a skeleton for their potential 2026 squad. The opportunities were limited, as all teams had a chance to protect 5 players. So, multiple stars were likely off the table. Yet, the Fire’s decision to draft Nika Mühl, an injury-ridden talent who can’t play this year, certainly drew eyebrows. Now, GM Vanja Černivec is backing the former UConn star. 

“Nika was a personal pick for us,” Černivec said in the press conference. “I know her since she was very young. She was in our NBA Academy program, so we did a lot of academy games with her. I’ve watched her grow on court since she was 14. She comes from our neighboring country, Croatia.”

Nika Mühl has been unfortunate with injuries. She first suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in her first overseas game for Beşiktaş back in October 2024. Just as she was coming back, a second ACL injury struck her while playing for Croatia at the FIBA EuroBasket Qualifiers in March 2026. She had surgery on March 31, and the Seattle Storm announced that it would sideline her for the 2026 WNBA season. However, the Fire still picked Nika Mühl with their last pick of the expansion draft. 

“We always emphasize that we’re going to have the best-performing and medical team in the league, and I strongly believe we have that. That’s why we were so convinced that we can help her, we can bring her back to play professional basketball because she deserves it,” she further said. 

One ACL tear is bad enough, but two? It will be unprecedented if Mühl can return to her UConn level. As a senior, she averaged 6.9 points and 6.5 assists per game while shooting career highs of 46.2% and 40.2% from three. In the WNBA, she has had limited time on the court after being drafted at No. 14 in the 2024 draft. 

She played in 16 games with the Storm as a rookie and averaged 0.1 points, 0.6 rebounds, and 0.4 assists in 3.6 minutes. However, the Fire’s support was crucial if she were to achieve the impossible. The belief in the management can also help her recover psychologically. She is already raring back to make a strong comeback, writing, “October 2024 & March 2026. Shit happens twice, but so does the get back.” 

It is also a clear signal to the rest of the league regarding the team’s culture. They are backing their players through adversity, something many will appreciate. But what about on the court? Even with one player already in the medical room, the Fire have still managed to secure a solid expansion draft despite not having any star picks. 

Portland Fire Can Have A Deep Rotation Even Without Nika Mühl 

Wasting a pick on an injured player seems like a questionable decision from Portland. However, we don’t have access to the player pool they had to choose from. So, without that context, no judgments will be accurate. Even with Nika Mühl’s injury and absence in 2026, the team has picked multiple options that can be key contributors for the team.

“The Fire didn’t take a lot of big swings, not unlike the Golden State Valkyries a year ago when Vanja Černivec was part of that front office,” wrote Sabreena Merchant. “But the Fire ended up with several players who have proven they belong in the WNBA.”

They have added Bridget Carleton, who averaged 6.5 points and 3.5 rebounds with the Minnesota Lynx. She brings 9 years of solid WNBA experience. Another experienced piece is Sug Sutton, who averaged 7.4 points and 3.4 assists with the Mystics last year. 

Then they have added key young talents like Carla Leite, Luisa Geiselsöder, and Chloe Bibby. Emily Engstler and Haley Jones have been inconsistent but their opportunity has also been limited. If given a proper run, they could prosper too. However, this squad still needs a couple of stars that can lead the side and take over the game. That will be the team’s main goal in free agency, where most of the league will enter without a contract.