Kate Koval abruptly leaves the LSU (Louisiana State University) basketball program days after it signed Russian player.
According to ESPN, Ukrainian center left Tiger less than two weeks after the team bought in Anna Minaeva.
LSU coach Kim Mulkey revealed on Monday, August 24, that Koval was leaving the team due to “personal reasons.”
Kate Koval takes ‘hard decision’
Mulkey said in a university release, “Kate came to see me on Sunday and told me that after much consideration, she will be leaving the program for personal reasons. We will respect her privacy on her decision, but we had a long talk about it, and it was a hard decision for her.”
“I know it is hard because she loves LSU. Kate is a great person. She has to do what she feels is right for her, and we fully support her in that. We all wish her the best,” she added.
Koval was considered one of the nation’s top portal signees after spending her freshman season at Notre Dame. In 32 games, she started in 10 of 32 games, averaging 5.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots, the fifth highest average in school history.
Koval provided the Lady Tigers with their lone low-post presence, starting in all of her team’s 35 games with 17 starts.
She was second on the team with 43 blocks, ranking 10th nationally in that category, to go with her 8.3 scoring average and 6.3 rebounds.
Koval scored a career-high 23 against Alabama State and more than tripled her made free throws from her freshman to sophomore season. She scored in double figures 14 times and seven double-doubles, including back-to-back games against Georgia Southern and Charlotte, and against Alcorn State and Marist, to increase her career total to nine.
