Ukrainian player Kate Koval leaves LSU basketball team

Ukrainian basketball player Kate Koval has left the Louisiana State University (LSU) women’s basketball program. The departure follows the recent signing of 17-year-old Russian center Anna Minaeva by the team.

LSU head coach Kim Mulkey stated that Koval decided to leave for “personal reasons” and noted that the decision was difficult for the player. Mulkey had previously engaged in discussions with Koval regarding the possibility of the two players playing together, expressing hope that they could serve as “ambassadors” for friendship despite the ongoing conflict between their nations. Koval reportedly expressed doubt regarding that possibility.

While the university has not explicitly cited geopolitical tensions as the cause, the move comes amid the broader context of the war between Ukraine and Russia. Koval’s father reportedly serves in the Ukrainian military as a drone operator.