Nika Muhl’s injury scare while playing in Turkey is just the latest reminder that WNBA players need to be paid accordingly, especially after Commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s claims that players made more than they did.

During Besiktas’ SuperCup Women’s matchup against Fenerbahce on Thursday – a resumption of Wednesday’s game – Muhl showed what made her such a tantalizing prospect for the Seattle Storm. She scored 11 points, sank 3 of 4 3-pointers, and dished out nine assists, with three rebounds and two steals in front of a near-empty arena as fans were barred from entering after throwing firecrackers onto the court the previous day.

However, with just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter, Muhl got tangled up going for a rebound and immediately clutched her left knee as she lay on the court in pain. “Oh my God!” she shouted numerous times, her pain reverberating throughout the empty arena, as medical personnel tended to her, with Storm teammate Gabby Williams by her side.

Muhl could be heard crying as the medical staff continued to work on her injury while her teammates and coaches looked on despondently. Eventually, the 23-year-old was taken off on a stretcher and, as she lay there, Muhl repeatedly slammed her fist on the court in frustration.

Muhl emerged moments later from the locker room with the help of two players, her left knee bandaged up. After Fenerbahce’s win, a visibly emotional Muhl was spotted congratulating Williams and her team.

That said, Muhl’s latest injury scare is just another reminder that the WNBA needs to do a better job of paying its athletes so instances like these could be avoided. For the 2024 season, the 23-year-old’s base salary was $67,249 and the average of her four-year deal with Seattle is $74,261.

Nika Muhl had to be stretched off the court after sustaining an injury while playing basketball in Turkey

Nika Muhl had to be stretched off the court after sustaining an injury while playing basketball in Turkey ( 

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This is a far cry from Engelbert’s claim that WNBA players earned upwards of $700,000, sans endorsements. Of note, Las Vegas Aces star Jackie Young is the highest-paid player in the league, with a salary of $252,450.

Williams made it a point to explain the discrepancy between Engelbert’s words and the reality WNBA players face in her end-of-season press conference in Seattle. “The W[NBA] thinks that they don’t have to pay us more in order for us to be here. And I think I didn’t express that when I first talked about prioritization,” the French star told reporters.

“Our commissioner talked about us being able to make $700,000. That’s actually not true at all. There’s not one player who makes that. So it’s still not enough for us international players to want to stay here and that’s a choice of the players.

“If I make a choice to make more money, whatever, and then teams are mad that I don’t come back, but that’s how it is. The WNBA, if you want us to be here, you have to pay us more. It’s business, it’s how it works, and that’s all that means.”

While on her flight to Turkey, Williams further explained that even star rookie Caitlin Clark did not make $700,000 from her WNBA salary, as most of that came from endorsement deals. Muhl’s injury scare also calls to mind Brittney Griner’s detainment in Russia for 293 days.

Griner played in Russia after the WNBA season ended, much like how Muhl and Williams had to leave the United States, just to make ends meet. If Engelbert and the WNBA want to continue to tout how impressive the league is, it has to start with paying players a reasonable salary, at the very least.

Or else, players will be forced to leave and play elsewhere, which ultimately could affect the league’s bottom line if said players are injured, or worse.