Former Notre Dame forward Kate Koval has landed at Louisiana State University and will play for flamboyant coach Kim Mulkey.
Koval, a 6-5 freshman, announced on social media Monday afternoon that she was committed the LSU.
LSU reached the Elite Eight in the tournament that ended Sunday with UConn as national champion. The Tigers lost to UCLA, 72-65, in the regional final.
Mulkey and LSU won the NCAA championship two years ago. Mulkey also won three titles while coaching at Baylor, two of them by beating Notre Dame in 2012 and 2019.
Koval, who is from Ukraine, is the first of four former Notre Dame players to land at a school. Former All-America guard Olivia Miles, guard Emma Risch and center Kylee Watson are all in the portal, yet to announce destinations.
đBaton Rouge #committed#geauxtigers pic.twitter.com/Yg4nj50yy6
â Kate Koval (@kate_koval13) April 7, 2025
Notre Dame's season ended in the Sweet Sixteen with a loss to TCU. The Irish finished the year at 28-6.
Koval, the No. 5 recruit overall and No. 1 center in 2024, played in 32 of Notre Dame's 34 games, starting in ten of them. She averaged 5.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. She also led the Irish in blocked shots with 55, playing an average of 18 minutes a game.
Coach Niele Ivey's depleted roster includes â five players exhausted their eligibility â includes just three scholarship players in All-American guard Hannah Hidalgo, forward Cass Prosper and guard KK Bransford, who redshirted this past season. The lone signee, so far, is 6-2 McDonald's All-American Leah Macy of Elizabethtown, Kent. Macy is currently injured and may not be available to play next season.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Former Notre Dame forward Kate Koval lands at LSU out of the transfer portal
