Ukrainian center Kate Koval left the LSU women’s basketball program on Monday, August 24, 2026, less than two weeks after the Tigers signed Russian player Anna Minaeva. Head coach Kim Mulkey stated that Koval departed for personal reasons after a hard decision, with her father currently serving in the Ukrainian military.
The LSU women’s basketball frontcourt underwent a sudden and high-profile shift when Ukrainian center Kate Koval exited the program in Baton Rouge.
Kim Mulkey Addresses Kate Koval’s Sudden Departure from LSU
Head coach Kim Mulkey confirmed the roster change on a Monday evening, noting that the 6-foot-5 post player had initiated the conversation after careful thought.
Kate came to see me on Sunday and told me that after much consideration, she will be leaving the program for personal reasons. We will respect her privacy on her decision, but we had a long talk about it, and it was a hard decision for her. 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, shares a family connection to the war: her father, Oleksandr Koval, is an active member of the Ukrainian military fighting against the Russian invasion that began in February 2022. Prior to this invasion, there had already been eight years of conflict in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian Government forces and Russia-backed separatists, and the current phase of the war has lasted for more than 4 years and 6 months.
Anna Minaeva Signing and the Intersection of Sports and Conflict
The roster upheaval follows the program’s addition of 17-year-old Russian center Anna Minaeva, who was brought in from the professional club MBA Moscow. A 6’5 post player, she joined the LSU roster after playing with MBA Moscow, a professional women’s basketball club in Russia. Minaeva and Koval would have formed what is believed to be the first Ukrainian-Russian teammate pairing in women’s college basketball since the war first invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Mulkey told The Advocate that she talked to Koval before recruiting Minaeva to explain the decision. I want you to understand I'm not here to ask you to change how you feel about Russia,
Mulkey said, recalling her conversation with 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.”
On-Court Impact and Future Career Status for Koval
Koval leaves behind a substantial athletic footprint in Baton Rouge. After beginning her collegiate career playing her freshman season at Notre Dame, where she played in 32 games with 10 starts and averaged 5.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks (which was the 5th highest blocks average in school history), she transferred to LSU. In her lone season in Baton Rouge, she provided the Lady Tigers with their lone low-post presence while shooting 56% from the field and helping LSU reach the Sweet 16, too.
- Averaged 8.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game during her lone season with the Tigers.
- Started in all of her team’s 35 games with 17 starts, helping push LSU to the Sweet 16.
- Recorded 43 blocks, ranking second on the team and tenth nationally in that category.
- Scored a career-high 23 against Alabama State, scored in double figures 14 times, and recorded seven double-doubles, including back-to-back games against Georgia Southern and Charlotte, and against Alcorn State and Marist, to increase her career total to nine.
It’s unclear where Koval will end up playing next, though she can not join a new program for the 2026-27 campaign. Mulkey is set to enter her sixth season leading the Tigers this fall, with the team scheduled to open the season against Southeast Louisiana on Nov. 2.
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