LSU’s Kate Koval Leaves Team After Tigers Sign 17-Year-Old Russian Center

Q: Did a controversial recruiting decision cost LSU a star player just before the 2026 season?

Possibly, but it has not been proven. LSU lost a major frontcourt player when Kate Koval, a 6-foot-5 Ukrainian center who averaged 8.3 points and 6.3 rebounds last season, left the program for what Kim Mulkey called “personal reasons.” The departure came less than two weeks after LSU signed 17-year-old Russian center Anna Minaeva, making the timing impossible to ignore given Russia’s war in Ukraine and the fact that Koval’s father serves in the Ukrainian military. That said, LSU has not said Minaeva’s signing caused Koval’s exit, and Koval has not publicly tied her decision to the recruiting move. Mulkey said she spoke with Koval before pursuing Minaeva, acknowledged how personal the issue was for her, and said she could not pass on a player who could help LSU because of a conflict between two countries. What is clear is that the recruiting decision created a highly sensitive situation and LSU did lose an expected starter just before the 2026-27 season. Koval had been projected as a key rotation piece, if not LSU’s primary true center, and her departure forces the Tigers to lean more heavily on Minaeva and other frontcourt options. So the answer is that the controversial recruiting decision may have cost LSU a star player, but the available facts only support suspicion, not certainty. The roster impact, however, is real and significant.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 25

Kate Koval, LSU’s 6-foot-5 center, said she is leaving the women’s basketball program for personal reasons less than two weeks after the Tigers signed 17-year-old Russian center Anna Minaeva.
The move points to the Russia-Ukraine war as the likely trigger: Koval is Ukrainian, her father is serving in the Ukrainian Army, and coach Kim Mulkey acknowledged she could not avoid recruiting a player because of a conflict between two countries.
Mulkey said Koval told her of the decision on Sunday after “much consideration,” while the program has not publicly detailed any issue beyond privacy concerns.
Koval averaged 8.3 points and 6.3 rebounds last season, making her a significant loss for LSU and a likely sought-after transfer if she enters the portal.