BATON ROUGE - Former LSU forward Kate Koval released a statement on her leaving LSU's women's basketball program, citing the decision of the program signing a Russian player as part of the reason.

Koval said that she intended to continue her career at LSU, but after the transfer portal had closed, she was told of LSU's decision to sign a Russian player.

"My father serves in the Ukrainian military and takes tremendous pride in defending his country against Russian aggression. For me, this war is not distant or abstract. People close to me have been killed and wounded in Russian attacks, and places where I grew up and first began playing basketball have been destroyed by missile strikes."

Koval said that the timing of the situation and the "deep personal effect" it had on her and her family made her question whether LSU remained the right place for her.

"This decision is not easy. While I understand and respect that roster decisions are a part of college basketball, I have to remain true to myself, my values and my country."

Kovall asked the NCAA to "[recognize] the circumstances" regarding her situation and said she hoped to play at another school during the upcoming season. Read her statement here.