Ukrainian center Kate Koval leaves LSU basketball program

Ukrainian center Kate Koval is leaving LSU less than two weeks after the Tigers brought in a player from Russia.

LSU coach Kim Mulkey said Monday night that Koval was leaving for “personal reasons”, adding that the program will “respect her privacy on her decision”.

“We had a long talk about it, and it was a hard decision for her,” Mulkey continued. “I know it is hard because she loves LSU. Kate is a great person. She has to do what she feels is right for her, and we fully support her in that. We all wish her the best.”

Koval, who was born in Kyiv and whose father serves in the Ukrainian military, began her college career at Notre Dame. She transferred before last season to LSU, where she averaged 8.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 16.6 minutes per game. Koval played high school basketball in New York, where she was one of the best young players in the country, and represented Ukraine at the Fiba 3x3 World Cup this summer.

Earlier this month, LSU signed Anna Minaeva, a 17-year-old who previously played professionally with MBA Moscow.

In an interview with the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate last week, Mulkey said she had spoken to Koval about Minaeva joining the team before the signing was announced.

“I want you to understand I’m not here to ask you to change how you feel about Russia,” Mulkey recalled telling Koval. “I’m just here out of respect for your family and out of respect for you to let you know. Because I know how personal it is for you. Know that what I have to do in this business, I cannot make a decision to not recruit somebody that can help our program because of a conflict between two countries.”

Mulkey had said she hoped the two players could be “ambassadors” for sport and peace amid the conflict.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and the two countries have been at war since.