by Kevin Burton
Ukrainian Center Kate Koval has signed with Baylor basketball, after leaving LSU and tone-deaf coach Kim Mulkey.
Mulkey, a four-time national championship coach, signed Russian center Anna Minaeva for the 2026-27 season, creating obvious tensions within the LSU locker room.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 without provocation and the two countries have been at war ever since.
Koval’s father serves in the Ukrainian military and has been involved in the war since Russia’s invasion.
“For me, this war is not distant or abstract,” Koval wrote in a statement after leaving LSU. “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.”
“The timing of this situation and the deeply personal effect it has had on me, my family, and those we care about who continue to live through and fight this war ultimately made me question whether LSU remained the right place for me. This decision has not been easy.”
“While I understand and respect that roster decisions are a part of college basketball. I have to remain true to myself, my values, and my country,” Koval wrote.
Mulkey won championships at Baylor in 2005, 2012 and 2019 and at LSU in 2023. She is the first coach to win championships as a player, assistant coach, and head coach.
Multiple media accounts questioned whether Mulkey did the right thing in signing Minaeva. I consider it wrong of Mulkey to try to put Russian and Ukrainian athletes together in what is supposed to be a close-knit basketball family. It appears the NCAA agrees with me, as it allowed a special waiver to Koval to transfer, very late in the process.
“Koval was allowed to enter the transfer portal outside of the normal window after she was granted a legislative relief waiver by the NCAA that was approved last week,” a person familiar with the situation told the Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about it.”
Mulkey told The Advocate that she talked to Koval before recruiting Minaeva.
“I want you to understand I’m not here to ask you to change how you feel about Russia,” Mulkey said, recalling her conversation with Koval. “I’m just here out of respect for your family and out of respect for you to let you know. Because I know how personal it is for you.”
“Know that what I have to do in this business, I cannot make a decision to not recruit somebody that can help our program because of a conflict between two countries.”
“We are beyond excited to welcome Kate to Baylor,” Bears coach Nicki Collen said in a statement. “She has played at an elite level over the last two seasons and has shown the consistent ability to score around the rim and protect the rim. Kate, at 6-foot-5, can be a decision maker on the perimeter both as a scorer and facilitator, which will expand our offense. Her shot-blocking ability will help anchor our defense. She is an elite student with a big heart for others, and our fans will love her on and off the court.”
There is some irony that Koval will now be at the school that Mulkey turned into a women’s basketball powerhouse before leaving to coach LSU.
“Koval averaged 8.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.2 blocks last season for LSU. She started her college career at Notre Dame and averaged 5.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in the 2024-25 season,” the Associated Press reported.
I’m not going to turn into a die-hard women’s college basketball fan. But I certainly wish Koval and Baylor all the best. And this story is only tangentially about basketball.
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