NCAA grants waiver to Kate Koval after LSU exit over Russian player signing

Kate Koval will be able to play for new team this upcoming women’s college basketball season.

The former LSU center is in the transfer portal under a “legislative relief waiver,” three people with direct access to the transfer portal confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.

Koval, who is Ukrainian, explained in a social media post last week that she left Kim Mulkey’s Tigers near the end of August because of how she was informed that LSU was signing a Russian player. Koval’s father, Oleksandr, is a drone operator for the Ukrainian military as it remains at war with Russia.

“For me, this war is not distant or abstract,” Koval wrote. “People close to me have been killed and wounded in Russian attacks, and places where I grew up and first began playing basketball have been destroyed by missile strikes.

“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…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/sports/