Ukrainian LSU basketball player explains why she left the team over Russian signing
LSU women's basketball player Kate Koval is explaining her decision to leave the team, after the premiere college basketball program said it was signing a Russian player to its roster.
Koval took to social media on Wednesday to walk through her decision, citing a strong personal connection to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
"After much reflection, I have made the difficult decision to step away from the LSU Women's Basketball program and withdraw from LSU," she wrote in the post.
Koval said she had originally intended to continue playing at LSU until she was informed of the team's decision "to sign a Russian player" in April, after her transfer portal had closed. LSU announced it had signed Russian player Anna Minaeva in an August press release.
"My father serves in the Ukrainian military and takes tremendous pride in defending his country against Russian aggression," Koval wrote in her post Wednesday. "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 the university's decision to sign the player made her reconsider her decision to stay with LSU.
"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," she wrote.
Koval said she was understanding of roster move but added, "I have to remain true to myself, my values, and my country."
Koval said she was "incredibly grateful" for her teammates, coaches, staff, professors and larger LSU community.
"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 upcoming 2026-27 basketball season."
ABC News reached out to LSU women's basketball for comment, and was referred to prior comments made by head coach Kim Mulkey.
"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 posted by the team on social media last month.
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."
LSU basketball announced the signing of Anna Minaeva on Aug. 14, calling her a "6-5 Russian post player" whose "well-rounded skill set gives Mulkey and her staff an exciting opportunity to develop Minaeva into one of the college game's most effective post players."
Tensions between the Russia and Ukraine boiled over in 2022 when Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine, sparking a military conflict that carries on to present day. Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed in the conflict, the vast majority of them in Ukraine.
