Ukrainian LSU women’s basketball player leaves team over signing of Russian recruit

Ukrainian forward Kate Koval left LSU’s women’s basketball program because the team signed a Russian player, she announced on social media Wednesday. “The timing of this situation and the deeply personal effect it has had on me, my family and those we care about who continue to live through and fight this war ultimately made me question whether LSU remained the right place for me,” Koval said. “This decision has not been easy. While I understand and respect that roster decisions are a part of college basketball, I have to remain true to myself, my values and my country.”LSU coach Kim Mulkey announced last week that the 6-foot-5 Koval had left for “personal reasons” after just one season in Baton Rouge.It was widely believed that Koval, 20, opted out in opposition to LSU’s signing 6-foot-5 Russian center Anna Minaeva, who previously played professionally for MBA Moscow.Koval said Wednesday that she’s proud of her father’s service in the Ukrainian military as it defends the nation against Russia’s 4½-year-long invasion of the former Soviet republic.LSU coach Kim Mulkey announced last week that Koval was leaving the program for “personal reasons” after just one season in Baton Rouge.Tyler Kaufman / Getty Images file“My father serves in the Ukrainian military and takes tremendous pride in defending his country against Russian aggression,” Koval wrote in a statement. “For me, this war is not distant or abstract. People close to me have been killed and wounded in Russian attacks, and places where I grew up and first began playing basketball have been destroyed by missile strikes.”Koval said that she enjoyed her time in Baton Rouge but that the Russian player’s addition to the LSU roster made the setting untenable.Koval said she wasn’t told about the addition of Minaeva until April, days after the transfer portal had closed. So without special action from the NCAA, she might be forced to sit out the 2026-27 season.“I hope the NCAA recognizes the circumstances surrounding my situation and understands the seriousness and deep nature of this matter,” she said. “More than anything, I hope I am given the opportunity to compete at another school during the upcoming 2026-27 basketball season.”Representatives for the NCAA and LSU couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Wednesday night.Koval played her freshman season at Notre Dame before she transferred to LSU last season. She played in all 35 games, 17 as a starter, in 2025-26 and averaged 8.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks in 16.6 minutes per contest. The Tigers were upset in the Sweet 16 in March as a buzzer-beater by Duke’s Ashlon Jackson forced LSU’s earliest tournament exit since 2022.