The sting of last season’s Sweet 16 loss to Duke was still fresh, but Kim Mulkey and LSU weren’t about to dwell on it. The Tigers had already turned the page, looking toward a new season and another shot at making a deep run. Then, just as the pieces began coming together, an unexpected setback landed in Baton Rouge, threatening to disrupt those plans before the new chapter could even begin.

Ukrainian center Kate Koval has decided to leave the LSU Tigers, citing personal reasons, coach Kim Mulkey announced Monday evening.

“Kate came to see me on Sunday and told me that after much consideration, she will be leaving the program for personal reasons,” she wrote. “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.”

This was something no one saw coming, especially after Koval decided to return to LSU for her junior season. And for Mulkey, the departure hits a little differently given the history between the two.

That history dates back to Koval’s recruitment, when the Ukrainian center was one of the most sought-after prospects in the country. After leaving Ukraine in 2021 to play high school basketball in Long Island, New York, Koval blossomed into a five-star recruit and the No. 5 overall prospect in the 2023 class, according to ESPN. Mulkey was among the coaches who heavily recruited her, but Koval ultimately chose Notre Dame.

But Mulkey would get another chance. Koval entered the transfer portal the following year after Notre Dame’s Sweet 16 exit, and this time, Mulkey managed to bring her to Baton Rouge.

She would go on to start 17 of 35 games for LSU last season, finishing second on the team in both rebounds and blocks at 6.3 and 1.2 per game, respectively. Koval also averaged 8.3 points per game while shooting 56% from the floor.

The 6’5″ player was in line to play an even bigger role this coming season after ranking 20th nationally in offensive rebounding rate at 17.4% and 14th in defensive rating at 72.2, according to USA Today.

Instead, Kim Mulkey will now have to piece together a new frontcourt rotation, with sophomore forward Grace Knox and international signees Anna Minaeva and Noa Morro likely to take on bigger roles. She was dealt another blow after last season’s leading rebounder, Amiya Joyner, committed to Louisville after being among a group of college athletes awarded an extra season of eligibility.

So far, there’s no publicly available information on why Koval decided to leave the program, but it seems like the coach might have played a role in her decision.

Kim Mulkey’s Russian Signing May Have Contributed to Koval’s Exit

Just days ago, LSU added 6’5″ forward Anna Minaeva to its roster. Despite being just 17 years old, Tigers assistant coach Fitzroy Anthony had already expressed his belief that she has WNBA draft potential, according to the New York Post, while Mulkey was also extremely excited about the signing.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Anna to our LSU family,” Mulkey said while announcing the addition. “She has the experience, skill set, and size to make an immediate impact in our frontcourt. 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.”

Last season with MBA Moscow, a professional Russian basketball team, Minaeva averaged 11.2 points and 9.6 rebounds, according to the official LSU website. But her addition to the roster created a sensitive backdrop given Koval’s Ukrainian roots and her family’s connection to the conflict between the two countries.

Russia and Ukraine have been involved in a full-scale conflict since February 2022. To make things even more complicated, Koval’s father, Oleksandr, is a drone operator for the Ukrainian military.

Questions were naturally raised when the signing was announced, and Mulkey later revealed in an interview with The New Orleans Advocate that she had consulted Koval before bringing in Minaeva.

“I want you to understand I’m not here to ask you to change how you feel about Russia,” Mulkey recalled telling 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.”

The two were set to be the first pair of teammates in college women’s basketball from the two countries since the beginning of the conflict, with Mulkey hoping that they could become “ambassadors” for their respective countries. But that plan has now fallen apart, leaving Mulkey to find internal solutions to fill the significant gap Koval’s departure has created.

With no official reason given for her departure, it would be unfair to assume that Minaeva’s arrival is what pushed Koval to leave. But with Koval now seemingly prepared to sit out a season rather than return to LSU, knowing that the transfer portal will not open again until next April, it does make you wonder just how important this decision was to her.

If the situation surrounding Minaeva did play a role in her departure, then it is a powerful reminder that sometimes there are things in life that are simply bigger than basketball.