Getting the transfer portal fireworks up and going, LSU women’s basketball has now landed their first transfer commitment of the offseason, as former Notre Dame freshman center Kate Koval is officially a Tiger.
LSU women’s basketball lands first commitment of the 2025 transfer portal period
Starting things off by losing senior guard Last-Tear Poa and junior forward Sa’Myah Smith to the transfer portal, it wasn’t an ideal beginning to the LSU women’s basketball offseason. After all, the pair was almost guaranteed to leave an impact on the team had they stayed, especially when taking Aneesah Morrow’s trip to the WNBA into account.
That said, when in doubt, it’s generally a smart decision to put your trust in head coach Kim Mulkey and the entire Tiger coaching staff.
Two seasons ago, they utilized the portal to bring in Hailey Van Lith and Aneesah Morrow. Both players are now expected to be picked up in the first round of the upcoming 2025 WNBA Draft. Then, just one season ago, moves continued to be made, as they snagged commitments from guards Shayeann Day-Wilson, Kailyn Gilbert and Mjracle Sheppard, as well as 6-foot-5 forward Jersey Wolfenbarger.
Now, as we look ahead to the 2025 campaign, things are already starting to trend in the right direction, as the program most recently signed Kate Koval, a 6-foot-5 freshman, who most notably played in the 2024 McDonald’s All-American game just one year ago.
A supremely talented forward from Kyiv, Ukraine, Koval brings some much needed size and defense to a squad that’s already expected to be one of the athletic in all of women’s college basketball next season.
Logging as many as five blocks in just one game against No. 4 Texas, the former Notre Dame freshman has shown more than enough capability of stepping up when it matters most. Additionally having hit on 69.7 percent of her free throws during the 2024-25 campaign, she’s not exactly a big you would want to foul down low once she gets the ball in her hands.
This past season, one of the primary concerns for LSU women’s basketball was that they simply couldn’t hold up size-wise when they found themselves matched up against the very best teams in the country. With the addition of Koval, it already appears that Mulkey is looking to make a change in 2025. Now, it’s just a matter of waiting to see what other moves the veteran head coach has up her sleeve before things are all set in stone.
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