Kate Koval, a Ukrainian junior on the Louisiana State University women's basketball team, has left the program after head coach Kim Mulkey recruited a 17-year-old player from Russia.
Koval, who is from Kyiv and was expected to be a key contributor for the LSU Tigers in the 2026-27 season, departed three days after the school announced the signing of Russian center Anna Minaeva, according to The Advocate.
What Mulkey told Koval
Mulkey privately informed Koval of her pursuit of Minaeva and suggested the two players could be "ambassadors" for kinship amid international conflict and could even help end the war between Russia and Ukraine, The Advocate reported. Mulkey said Koval smiled in response and said, "I doubt that."
Koval's father serves as a drone operator in the Ukrainian military.
Mulkey said she and Koval had earlier sat together in her car in a parking lot to discuss the recruitment before it was finalized. She recalled telling Koval that she was not asking her to change how she felt about Russia, but wanted to speak with her out of respect for her and her family given how personal the conflict was to them. Mulkey said she also told Koval that her job required her to pursue players who could help the program regardless of conflicts between countries.
Mulkey's statement
In a statement released Monday, Mulkey said Koval came to see her on Sunday and explained that after much consideration she would 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," Mulkey said. "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."
The Minaeva signing
Minaeva, a freshman from Moscow, was recruited by new LSU assistant coach Fitzroy Anthony, who previously worked at the University of Miami. Anthony pursued Minaeva after an overseas contact sent the coaching staff film of her play. The LSU coaching staff believes she has the ability to become a WNBA draft pick.
Had Koval stayed, she and Minaeva would have become the first pair of players from the two warring nations to play together on the same college team. Mulkey said she believed the pair could have worked well together on the floor and that she wanted them to pass the ball to each other.
Koval's departure
Koval averaged 8.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game for LSU last season.
"I love Kate," Mulkey said. "I love her family, and I wanted them to know. I wanted her to know. You want her to feel your compassion, and yet you don't ask her to change her feelings. Her feelings are what they are. You just want her to know and be informed. That's all."
