The NCAA delivered a bombshell, granting Kate Koval a waiver that lets her hit the transfer portal. This comes after the women’s basketball transfer window slammed shut back in April, meaning Koval now has a path to play for a different team in the 2025-26 season and keep her two remaining seasons of eligibility alive. This isn’t just a paperwork shuffle, this is the NCAA acknowledging a seriously difficult situation for a player expected to be a starting center.
More Than ‘Personal Reasons’: The Raw Truth Behind Her LSU Exit
Initially, LSU said Koval left for “personal reasons” last month. But on September 2, Koval herself set the record straight: her departure was directly tied to LSU signing 17-year-old Russian post player Anna Minaeva this summer. Talk about a gut punch. Koval was born and raised in Ukraine, a country locked in a brutal war with Russia. For her, this isn’t some distant conflict. Her own father serves as a drone operator for the Ukrainian military, fighting on the front lines.
Koval wasn’t shy about explaining it on social media. She said, “My father serves in the Ukrainian military and takes tremendous pride in defending his country against Russian aggression. For me, this war is not distant or abstract. 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.” How can anyone argue with that? LSU head coach Kim Mulkey even talked with Koval when they started recruiting Minaeva, suggesting they could be “ambassadors” for the two countries. But Koval, understandably, just wasn’t comfortable with that idea.
A Star on the Move: What Koval Brings and Where She Could Land
This isn’t some bench player we’re talking about. Koval, a 6-foot-5 center, is legit. She’s been hooping in the US since 2021, starting at Long Island Lutheran High School. She spent her freshman year at Notre Dame, even making the ACC All-Freshman Team. Then she transferred to LSU for the 2025-26 season, where she was set to be their starting center. As a sophomore with the Tigers, she played in 35 games, starting 17, and put up solid numbers: 8.3 points on an impressive 56% shooting, 6.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 1.2 blocks per contest. The woman also represented Ukraine in the 2026 FIBA 3×3 Women’s World Cup, helping her home country make it all the way to the quarterfinals. Any team looking for frontcourt depth would be lucky to have her.
Now, the clock is ticking. College basketball programs are already in full swing with practices, and most rosters are completed. That means Koval’s options are going to be limited, but this NCAA waiver is still a massive win. Without it, she would have been completely out of luck. Now, some lucky program gets a chance to add a proven talent and an incredibly courageous young woman to their roster. Who’s going to step up and make that call? It’s going to be wild to see where this talented center lands next, bringing her game and her powerful story with her.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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