There is a fresh twist in the Kate Koval situation as the NCAA this week granted her special permission. Koval was the starting center for LSU’s women’s basketball team and had left Kim Mulkey’s program after the team signed a Russian player, but she is now eligible to play this season after receiving a waiver from the NCAA.
“I can confirm that former LSU center Kate Koval is in the transfer portal and eligible to play for a new team this season under a ‘legislative relief waiver’ — an exception approved by the NCAA on this week,” wrote USA Today’s Mitchell Northam on X.
After declaring her decision to transfer on August 27, Kate Koval received formal approval to enter the NCAA transfer portal out of cycle when the governing body granted her a waiver on September 8, per USA Today.
Without the NCAA waiver, Koval likely would have had to forfeit a year of eligibility and sit out until April’s portal cycle following the conclusion of the season. Instead, she enters the market as an immediate-impact target for leading programs holding a vacant scholarship with fewer than 60 days before tip-off.
Last week, Koval released a statement after revealing her decision to leave the LSU program under Kim Mulkey, citing LSU’s signing of Russian player Anna Minaeva as her primary reason for leaving. Her decision comes against the backdrop of the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict and the sensitive nature of her family’s involvement in this conflict.
“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,” Koval said in an Instagram post on September 2, after months of speculation about the reasons for her departure.
“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.”
It seems that the NCAA heeded Koval’s request, given the extraordinary circumstances at play here.
“I hope the NCAA recognizes the circumstances surrounding my situation and understands the seriousness and deep nature of this matter,” Koval wrote. “More than anything, I hope I am given the opportunity to compete at another school during the upcoming 2026-27 basketball season.”
While the NCAA does not discuss individual cases, the Transfer Waiver Guidelines on its portal mention the point that a waiver request may be evaluated if exceptional conditions present themselves, per their official website.
“Exigent circumstances that clearly necessitate a student-athlete’s immediate departure from the previous school (e.g., physical assault or abuse, sexual assault) unrelated to the student-athlete’s athletics participation.”
So it seems that the above clause might have been at play here in granting Koval the waiver.
This waiver marks a step in the positive direction for Koval and her development as a basketball player. After leaving Ukraine in 2021 to play high school ball on Long Island, New York, Koval exploded onto the national scene. Ranked as ESPN’s No. 5 overall prospect in the 2023 class, the coveted 6-foot-5 post became a priority target for nearly every Power 4 heavyweight before signing with Notre Dame, where she validated the hype by securing ACC All-Freshman honors in 2024–25.
Following her freshman campaign at Notre Dame, Koval suited up for LSU last year, logging 17 starts across 35 appearances. In limited action, she produced an impressive stat line: in just 16.6 minutes per game, she put up 8.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, and 1.1 steals.
Koval carried her momentum onto the international circuit this summer, suiting up for Ukraine at the 2026 FIBA 3×3 Women’s World Cup and anchoring her native country’s run to the quarterfinals.
With all major programs likely being interested in signing her, only time will tell where Kim Mulkey’s top forward, Kate Koval, lands.