Kate Koval will continue her college basketball career at Baylor after receiving an NCAA waiver that allowed her to transfer outside the regular portal period. Baylor announced the addition of the 6-foot-5 center on Saturday.
Koval is from Kyiv, Ukraine, and left LSU after the school signed Anna Minaeva, a Russian player who had previously played professionally in Moscow. Koval’s father serves in the Ukrainian military. After deciding to leave LSU, Koval sought NCAA approval because the transfer portal had already closed.
In a social media statement, Koval described the war in Ukraine as a personal matter and said people close to her had been killed or injured in Russian attacks. She also said missile strikes had destroyed places where she grew up and began playing basketball.
NCAA policy permits transfers outside sport-specific windows when an emergency beyond an athlete’s control, unrelated to athletic opportunities or participation, requires the athlete to leave the school immediately. Baylor began classes in late August, and a university spokesperson said it was not yet clear whether Koval would be eligible to play right away.
Koval joins a Baylor team entering a significant roster overhaul for coach Nicki Collen’s sixth season in Waco. The Bears went 25-9 last season and retained most of their players who could have entered the transfer portal, but four starters graduated. Baylor had already added three transfers and did not sign a freshman class before Koval’s arrival.
At Baylor, Koval is expected to join a lineup that includes Taliah Scott, last season’s leading scorer at 20 points per game, and Marcayla Johnson, who is coming off a strong freshman season. She will be the team’s second 6-foot-5 player, alongside Lorena Awou, who transferred from NC State in January.
