Ukrainian basketball player Kate Koval has left Louisiana State University’s women’s basketball program less than two weeks after the team signed Russian center Anna Minaeva.

Head coach Kim Mulkey announced Koval’s departure on Monday, stating that the Ukrainian athlete decided to leave for “personal reasons.”

“We will respect her privacy on her decision, but we had a long talk about it, and it was a hard decision for her,” Mulkey said.

The announcement came after Mulkey revealed last week that she had spoken privately with Koval about whether she was prepared to play alongside Minaeva and “pass the ball to each other.” Mulkey expressed hope that the two athletes could become “ambassadors” for friendship and potentially help bring an end to the conflict between their countries. Koval reportedly responded: “I doubt that.”

Mulkey also emphasized that geopolitical tensions would not influence LSU’s recruitment decisions.

“I cannot make a decision to not recruit somebody that can help our program because of a conflict between two countries,” she said.

LSU announced Minaeva’s signing on August 14, describing the 17-year-old Russian center as an “all-around addition that can impact the 2026-27 squad immediately.” The player previously competed for MBA Moscow in the Russian Premier League and Superleague.

Ukrainian athletes have repeatedly avoided interactions with Russian competitors since the escalation of conflict between Kiev and Moscow in 2022. This pattern was observed during the European Championships in Varna, Bulgaria, where Ukrainian rhythmic gymnasts were filmed covering their ears and eyes while the Russian and Belarusian national anthems were played.

The tournament marked the first time in nearly five years that athletes from Russia and Belarus had been allowed to compete under their national flags after World Gymnastics and European Gymnastics lifted restrictions earlier that month.