On Monday, Louisiana State University women’s head coach Kim Mulkey announced that Ukrainian basketball player Kate Koval had decided to leave the program “for personal reasons.” The announcement came less than two weeks after the Tigers signed Russian center Anna Minaeva.
“We will respect her privacy on her decision, but we had a long talk about it, and it was a hard decision for her,” Mulkey said.
The coach revealed last week that she privately discussed with Koval whether she was prepared to play alongside Minaeva and “pass the ball to each other.” Mulkey had hoped the two players could become “ambassadors” for friendship and even help bring an end to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, but Koval reportedly responded: “I doubt that.”
Mulkey also emphasized that geopolitical tensions would not influence LSU’s recruitment decisions. “I cannot make a decision to not recruit somebody that can help our program because of a conflict between two countries,” she stated.
The Tigers announced Minaeva’s signing on August 14, describing her as an “all-around addition that can impact the 2026-27 squad immediately.” Mulkey had previously noted: “It takes tremendous courage to leave home at just 17 years old and travel across the world to pursue a dream. I’m excited to support and guide Anna as she begins this next chapter at LSU.”
Minaeva, who played for MBA Moscow in the Russian Premier League and Superleague, has been labeled by LSU as potentially developing into “one of the college game’s most effective post players.”
Ukrainian athletes have maintained a policy of avoiding interactions with Russian competitors since the escalation of hostilities between Ukraine and Russia in 2022. This practice was recently highlighted when Ukrainian rhythmic gymnasts were filmed covering their ears and eyes during the playing of the Russian and Belarusian national anthems at the European Championships in Varna, Bulgaria in May. The tournament marked the first time in nearly five years that athletes from Russia and Belarus competed under their national flags after World Gymnastics and European Gymnastics lifted restrictions earlier that month.
