By KACE KIESCHNICK, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
Former LSU center Kate Koval has entered the transfer portal, sources with access to the portal confirmed to USA Today.
The NCAA women’s basketball transfer portal window closed in April, but Koval has been granted a “legislative relief waiver” by the association this week. Kim Mulkey announced the native of Kyiv, Ukraine abruptly left the LSU women’s basketball program on Aug. 24, the day LSU classes began.
Last week, she revealed her departure was because of Mulkey’s signing of Russian pro player Anna Minaeva 10 days prior to her exit. Koval’s father, Oleksandr, serves in the Ukrainian military, and she said in an Instagram post that she made the difficult decision to stay true to herself, her family and her country.
“For me, this war is not distant or abstract,” Koval wrote. “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 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 went on to write in the statement that she “[hopes] 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.”
That wish was granted by the relief waiver, and Koval will now search for a new home ahead of the 2025-2026 season. The 6-foot-5 rim protector was slated to be LSU’s starting center and averaged 8.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks per game in her one season at LSU. She previously attended Notre Dame where she averaged 5.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 32 games as a freshman.
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