Baylor has added 6-foot-5 Ukrainian center Kate Koval to its women’s basketball roster, the school announced Saturday. Koval’s transfer followed her departure from LSU several weeks earlier and came after the NCAA approved a legislative relief waiver allowing her to enter the portal outside the regular window.
Koval said in a social media post that Russia’s war against Ukraine had affected people close to her, including those who were killed or wounded. She also said missile strikes damaged places where she grew up and first played basketball.
Those circumstances caused her to question whether LSU was the right fit, she wrote, while recognizing that roster decisions are part of college basketball and saying she needed to follow her values and support her country.
Koval will play for Baylor coach Nicki Collen, who said the center’s scoring inside, rebounding and shot blocking will help the team. Collen also said Koval’s perimeter play could expand Baylor’s offense. Koval averaged 8.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game at LSU last season.
She began her college career at Notre Dame, averaging 5.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in the 2024-25 season. A person familiar with the waiver situation provided information anonymously to The Associated Press because the person was not authorized to speak publicly.
