Kim Mulkey’s Plan Backfired. Here’s Why Ukrainian Center Kate Koval Decided to Leave LSU.

Ukranian center Kate Koval announced on Wednesday that her decision to leave LSU’s women’s basketball team stemmed from coach Kim Mulkey deciding to bring in Russian player Anna Minaeva.

In her emotional statement on social media, Koval confirmed that the reason she decided to step away from the Tigers’ program was because LSU signed a Russian player—who is also a center—after the NCAA’s transfer portal closed.

“At the conclusion of last season, I fully intended to return and continue my collegiate career at LSU. However, in April, several days after the transfer portal had closed, I was informed of the decision to sign a Russian player,” Koval’s statement read.

“My father serves in the Ukranian military and takes tremendous pride in defending his country against Russian aggression. 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.

“The timeline 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 noted that while she felt that she had “found a home” in Baton Rouge, she needed to remain “true to myself, my values, and my country,” which is why she made the difficult decision to leave the program.

As part of her statement, Koval, who has two years of college eligibility left, also appealed to the NCAA to recognize her unique circumstances and allow her to become immediately eligible to play elsewhere.

“I hope the NCAA recognizes the circumstances surrounding my situation and understands the seriousness and deep nature of this matter. More than anything, I hope I am given the opportunity to compete at another school during the 2026-27 basketball season.”

Kate Koval released a statement on her departure from LSU pic.twitter.com/LOcj5cLHl5
— Reed Darcey (@byreeddarcey) September 2, 2026

Full timeline of Kate Koval’s exit from LSU, including her conversation with Kim Mulkey

How did this tense roster situation between Koval and Minaeva come about? Koval transferred to the Lady Tigers from Notre Dame ahead of her sophomore season, averaging 8.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in 17 games last year.

The 6'5" center was primed to take on a key role for LSU this upcoming season, but her priorities clearly changed after the team signed Minaeva, another post player who previously played with MBA Moscow, a professional women’s basketball club in Russia.

According to Koval, she found out about the signing several days after the transfer portal window officially closed on April 20. Mulkey spoke to Koval before LSU’s pursuit of Minaeva, according to The Advocate, and even said she hoped the two players could serve as “ambassadors” for their countries amid the ongoing international conflict (Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, and the two countries have been at war ever since).

Koval, who was born and raised in Kyiv, reportedly sat in the car with Mulkey as the LSU coach relayed to her the possibility of the team signing Minaeva, whom Mulkey thought could make “an immediate impact” this season, per The Advocate.

During that conversation in the car, Mulkey admitted she knew how “personal” this issue was to Koval, and never asked Koval to “change her feelings” toward Russia.

“I want you to understand I’m not here to ask you to change how you feel about Russia,” Mulkey told Koval, via The New Orleans Advocate. “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,” added Mulkey.

The LSU coach appeared to believe that Koval and Minaeva would get along just fine, and maybe even optimistically believed their narrative would turn into one of the more wholesome storylines of the college hoops season. As it turned out, Mulkey was wrong.

The 17-year-old Minaeva was officially introduced as LSU’s new signee on Aug. 14:

“I’m thrilled to welcome Anna to our LSU family,” Mulkey said. “She has the experience, skill set, and size to make an immediate impact in our frontcourt. ... I’m excited to support and guide Anna as she begins this next chapter at LSU.”

Anna Minaeva is officially an LSU Tiger 🐅

📄 https://t.co/jTVvS624UG pic.twitter.com/sM3rq6WLRO
— LSU Women's Basketball (@LSUwbkb) August 14, 2026

A little over a week later, Koval informed Mulkey that she would be departing LSU for “personal reasons.”

"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," Mulkey said in a statement on Aug. 24. “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.”

When LSU’s season tips off on Nov. 2, Koval won’t be around to witness it. It remains to be seen whether the NCAA will grant Koval the opportunity to play basketball elsewhere this fall.

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