Koval Transfers to Baylor After Leaving LSU Over Russian Recruit — SkimNews
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- Baylor signed Ukrainian center Kate Koval, the school announced Saturday, several weeks after she left LSU because Tigers coach Kim Mulkey brought in a Russian player.
- The NCAA approved a legislative relief waiver earlier this week that allowed Koval to enter the transfer portal outside the normal window.
- Kate Koval wrote on social media that the war is deeply personal, saying people close to her have been killed and wounded and that places where she grew up and first played basketball have been destroyed by missile strikes.
- Koval averaged 8.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks last season at LSU after starting her college career at Notre Dame, where she averaged 5.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 2024-25.
- Bears coach Nicki Collen called Koval an elite scorer and rim protector and praised her as an elite student with a big heart for others.
- Baylor is the program Mulkey turned into a women's basketball powerhouse before she left to coach LSU.
Why it matters: Koval's case makes the Russia-Ukraine war a direct driver of roster moves in U.S. college basketball: a 6-5 starter averaging 8.3 points and 6.3 rebounds walked away from an LSU program specifically because of the conflict's toll on her family, and the NCAA granted her a rare out-of-window transfer waiver to land at Baylor.
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