K.Koval made the decision to withdraw from the LSU university basketball team on August 25th.
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The Ukrainian decided to leave the team after LSU signed a contract with Russian Anna Minayeva. The university itself stated that K.Koval left the team for personal reasons.
However, now the Ukrainian herself shared a message and clarified everything.
Her message on Instagram:
After much reflection, I made the difficult decision to withdraw from the LSU women’s basketball program and leave LSU.
At the end of last season, I was determined to return and continue my studies and basketball career at LSU. However, in April, a few days after the player transfer window closed, I was informed about the decision to sign a contract with a player from Russia.
My father serves in the Ukrainian army and is very proud to defend his country from Russian aggression. This war is not something distant or abstract to me. People close to me have died and been injured during Russian attacks, and the places where I grew up and first started playing basketball were destroyed by missile strikes.
The timing of this situation and its very personal impact on me, my family, and the people we care about who are still living in this war and fighting, ultimately made me question whether LSU is still the right place for me.
This decision was not easy. I understand and respect that roster decisions are part of college basketball, but I have to stay true to myself, my values, and my country.
I felt that I found a home at LSU, and I am infinitely grateful to my teammates who became family, as well as the coaches, staff, faculty, and the entire LSU community. I will always cherish the connections made there, the experience gained, and the memories.
I hope that the NCAA will take into account the circumstances of my situation and understand the seriousness and deep personal nature of this issue. Above all, I hope I will be given the opportunity to play at another school in the upcoming 2026-2027 basketball season.
K.Koval, born in Kyiv, represented the LSU team for one season, having previously played for the University of Notre Dame team.
She averaged 8.3 points and 6.3 rebounds and hoped to have an even bigger role in the upcoming season.
We remind that Russia began a large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which has been ongoing for four and a half years. During this Russian-instigated war, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have already been killed or injured, and millions have been forced to leave their homes or lost them.
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