{
  "id": 5185844,
  "title": "Ukrainian Koval confirms she left NCAA women's program after signing of Russian player",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/ukrainian-koval-confirms-she-left-ncaa-womens-program-after-signing",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-02T22:17:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Channel News Asia",
    "slug": "channel-news-asia",
    "url": "https://www.channelnewsasia.com/sport/ukrainian-koval-confirms-she-left-ncaa-womens-program-after-signing-russian-player-6358876"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Ukrainian basketball player Kate Koval announced on Wednesday that she departed Louisiana State University's women's program following the signing of Russian athlete Anna Minaeva, according to a report from September 2. LSU head coach Kim Mulkey had previously stated that Koval, 20, left due to personal reasons. Koval's Instagram post revealed she had intended to return to LSU at the conclusion of last season to continue her collegiate career. However, she revealed on April 18 that she had been informed of Minaeva's signing, which came days after the transfer portal had closed. Koval's father serves in the Ukrainian military and is deeply affected by the ongoing war against Russia. She expressed that the war had a personal impact on her, her family, and those still fighting it. Koval concluded that the timing of Minaeva's signing and the consequences had made her question whether LSU was the right place for her. Koval, who played 35 games during her sophomore season and averaged 8.3 points and 6.3 rebounds, expressed gratitude for the relationships, experiences, and memories made at LSU but hoped to continue her collegiate career elsewhere. She hopes the NCAA recognizes the circumstances surrounding her decision and grants her the opportunity to compete at another school during the upcoming 2026-27 basketball season.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Qatar Tribune",
        "title": "Ukrainian drones damaged 100 Russian ships: Putin",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/ukrainian-drones-damaged-100-russian-ships-putin",
        "published": "2026-09-02T21:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Ukrainian center Koval says she left LSU because team brought in Russian player",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/ukrainian-center-koval-says-she-left-lsu-because-team-brought-in",
        "published": "2026-09-02T23:27:36.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}