BATON ROUGE — The transfer portal has provided a host of different things in this current era of college athletes.
An aspect it has given players and coaches are second chances.
LSU women's basketball missed out on forward Kate Koval out of high school last year. But it didn't miss on her after she entered the transfer portal at the end of this season. The Notre Dame transfer announced her commitment to Kim Mulkey and LSU Monday via her social media pages.
In her lone season in South Bend, Koval averaged 5.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks.
Koval is the first transfer LSU has landed this offseason.
How Kate Koval fits with LSU women's basketball, Kim Mulkey
Saying this is a major get for the Tigers is an understatement. The need for post players in Baton Rouge is crucial and Koval's commitment doesn't completely fill the void but it's a massive step in the right direction.
The former five-star recruit and No. 5 rated players out of last year's high school class brings not only size, but a well-rounded skill set to the Tigers.
Koval, a native of Ukraine and 6-5 to boot, possesses strong footwork for a big and can maneuver in the post to score and snag highly-contested rebounds. She also has plenty of scoring ability in the midrange game.
What she adds defensively fits what LSU needs as well after the departure of junior Sa'Myah Smith to the transfer portal. Koval has good defensive instincts and is a solid shot blocker. She alters shot inside but she needs to work on playing cleanly.
