Riverdale, N.Y. — Hana Muhl is set to embark on her first season at Manhattan after gaining invaluable experience playing for the Croatian National Team. Muhl, a native of Zagreb, Croatia, was the youngest member on the Croatian team during their recent friendlies in June.
"I take a lot of pride in representing Croatia," Muhl said. "The most special thing is to wear the name of your country on your jersey."
Muhl, 21, announced her plans to transfer to Manhattan in April shortly after finishing her sophomore season at Ball State. Last season, while coming off the bench to help man point guard responsibilities, Muhl shot 44 percent from three-point range and helped lead Ball State to a program-record 28 wins which led to a berth in the WNIT.
In June, Muhl was called up to the national team for four friendlies which saw Croatia register a pair of wins over Luxembourg and an additional win over Denmark. She used the experiences of playing alongside her compatriots every day as an opportunity to get stronger physically and mentally — and to sharpen her package of tools for the next time she gets called up.
"Competing with and learning from the older girls was a special part," said Muhl, who has played for the U14, U16 and U18 Croatian teams along with the U19 team in two national championships. "It has prepared me well because college basketball is aggressive."
Muhl's journey to becoming a Croatian hoops prodigy almost never happened. She initially competed as a swimmer, following in the footsteps of her older sister, Nika, who wanted to give the pool a try at a young age. When Nika switched to basketball, Hana began to gravitate to the sport and the Muhl family's hoops tradition was alive and well again since their parents, Darko and Roberta Muhl, had both played basketball. Hana admits it took her parents some time to accept the playing fate of their daughters due to concerns about injuries in basketball. Once they did, the athletic investment placed in both sisters was worth the time. After a standout career at University of Connecticut, Nika now plays for the Seattle Storm of the WNBA. The sisters even played against each other when Ball State visited UConn in a non-conference match-up last December with their parents in attendance.
"We are a basketball family, both of our parents played, so that's also where the love started," Hana said. "They would take us to every practice from a young age because we weren't able to go on our own because it was super far. Our parents gave up so much for us to be able to play sports and we're thankful for that."
With both sisters being point guards, Hana has learned from Nika and has applied certain strategies to her own game. Hana's competitive spirit, leadership, and ability to shoot will provide an instant boost to the Jaspers.
"I'm so excited to be here and I'm so happy Coach Vulin gave me this honor to be here," Muhl said.
Muhl will slot in alongside Croatian teammates Petra Juric and Kristina Juric. Growing up, Muhl played with the Juric sisters and is excited to be reunited with them. Petra, who was sixth in rebounding (7.6) and second in field goal percentage (51.8%) this past season in the MAAC, has already been identified by Muhl as a prime pick and roll partner.
"I love to play pick and roll with Petra," Muhl said. "She runs the court so well as a big so sometimes I can rebound the ball and pass it to her for a nice easy lay-up."
Manhattan will have eight international players in total on the 2024-2025 roster. The pipeline from Croatia to Riverdale has been strong for some time now.
"Basketball has grown so much the past couple of years in Croatia because there have been so many great players," Muhl said. "It's nice to see that a lot of young girls want to come to the states to play basketball because they look up to us who are already here."
Muhl has already accomplished a lot to get here, with the foundation having been laid down at her home club ŽKK Trešnjevka 2009. On the international level, the ultimate dream would be to one day represent Croatia at the Olympics.
"That's the dream for every player," Muhl said with a smile. "Reaching the Olympics is one of the most special things."
