Ukrainian basketball player Kate Koval has left Louisiana State University’s (LSU) programme after the team signed Russian player Anna Minaeva.
Koval, 20, departed after one season with LSU. Her exit was initially announced as being for “personal reasons”, but she has now explained that Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine influenced her decision.
Koval said the war was deeply personal because her father serves in the Ukrainian military.
“My father serves in the Ukrainian military and takes tremendous pride in defending his country against Russian aggression,” she wrote on Instagram.
She said people close to her had been killed or wounded in Russian attacks. Koval also said places where she grew up and first played basketball had been destroyed by missile strikes.
The Ukrainian said the timing of Minaeva’s arrival and its personal impact on her family made her reconsider whether LSU was still the right environment for her.
“This decision has not been easy,” Koval said.
She added that although she understood roster decisions were part of college basketball, she needed to remain true to herself, her values and her country.
Koval had been expected to become LSU’s starting centre this season and still has two years of collegiate eligibility remaining.
However, the NCAA transfer portal has already closed, leaving her uncertain about her next destination. Koval said she hopes the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) will consider the circumstances surrounding her departure and allow her to transfer to another university for the upcoming season.
Despite leaving LSU, Koval expressed gratitude towards the university and the people she met during her time there. “I felt I had found a home at LSU,” she said. Further thanking her teammates, coaches, staff, professors and the wider LSU community.
She said she would continue to cherish the relationships, experiences and memories she made during her time at the university.
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