LSU basketball player Kate Koval has explained her decision to walk away from the program, revealing that the team's move to sign a Russian recruit sat at the heart of her choice. The Ukrainian center addressed the situation directly in a statement posted to social media on Wednesday, more than a week after LSU coach Kim Mulkey first confirmed her departure without detailing the reasons behind it.
Koval said she had fully intended to continue her college career at LSU, only reconsidering after learning in April after the transfer portal had already closed , that the program was bringing in Russian player Anna Minaeva, a 17-year-old, 6-foot-5 post player who had previously played professionally in Moscow. LSU confirmed the signing publicly in an August press release.
In her statement, Koval described the timing and personal weight of the situation as something she could not look past, saying it left her questioning whether LSU still felt like the right place for her. She stressed that while she understood and respected that roster decisions are simply part of college basketball, she needed to stay true to herself, her values and her country.
The war between Russia and Ukraine, which began in February 2022, has touched Koval's life directly — her father serves as a drone operator in the Ukrainian military, and she has spoken about the conflict's impact on her family and people close to her. Koval moved from Ukraine to New York in 2021 before eventually transferring to LSU from Notre Dame to play under Mulkey.
Her departure leaves her eligibility in a complicated position, since it came after the transfer portal had already closed for the season. Koval said she hopes the NCAA will recognize the unusual circumstances surrounding her exit and grant her the chance to continue her college career at another school, having previously been projected as a starting center for LSU with two years of eligibility still remaining.
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