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Notre Dame's Kate Koval is a rising star in college basketball and a daughter of war

3 weeks ago
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Notre Dame's Kate Koval is a rising star in college basketball and a daughter of war

She and Kate’s father were OK, her mom emphasized as she rushed around the apartment, preparing to evacuate Kyiv, Ukraine. They would call later when they could.Koval talks to her dad every day. He hounds her about her studies, the Irish’s season (they’re 17-2 and ranked No. 3) and her basketball progress. He looks forward […]

She and Kate’s father were OK, her mom emphasized as she rushed around the apartment, preparing to evacuate Kyiv, Ukraine. They would call later when they could.Koval talks to her dad every day. He hounds her about her studies, the Irish’s season (they’re 17-2 and ranked No. 3) and her basketball progress. He looks forward to these calls as much as she does. It’s a sign of normalcy for him, too.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Through warmups and the game, the cell phone sat on the team’s bench.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Through warmups and the game, the cell phone sat on the team’s bench.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Through warmups and the game, the cell phone sat on the team’s bench.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Through warmups and the game, the cell phone sat on the team’s bench.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Through warmups and the game, the cell phone sat on the team’s bench.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Through warmups and the game, the cell phone sat on the team’s bench.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Through warmups and the game, the cell phone sat on the team’s bench.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Through warmups and the game, the cell phone sat on the team’s bench.

Ivey invited them to dinner at her home. Oleksandr said little but asked Natalia to translate a message for Ivey: I see why Kate chose Notre Dame.When her parents had called that morning, her dad, Oleksandr, said that once they got to safety, they’d try to watch a live stream of her game that night.She understood her best path to the WNBA went through a U.S. college. At 6 feet 2 (and still growing), she had maximized her development in Ukraine. The Kovals began researching schools where she could get a jump-start on the American basketball experience.“You will not feel the pain of it until you really lose somebody who you’ve known to the war,” Koval said. “That definitely made it more real for me.”AdvertisementWhen he talks about his daughter, he can go on and on. “I just can’t be brief,” Oleksandr said. He’s proud she has pursued choices that require sacrifice; it means she’s preparing for the future — a similarity he notices between himself and Kate.For now, they’ll wait for the phone to ring every day, to see each other’s name on the caller ID and hear the voice on the other end of the line.Less than two months after visiting Ukraine, Koval chose Notre Dame. In an emotional ceremony at LuHi, she thanked her family, her coaches, her teammates and the community. She then stood and unbuttoned her varsity jacket to reveal a Notre Dame sweatshirt.

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