Savy King Recovers After Heart Surgery
Angel City defender Savy King is in recovery after undergoing heart surgery following a collapse during a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) match.
The incident occurred on Friday night, during the Angel City versus Utah Royals match. King was transported to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
The doctors discovered a heart anomaly that required surgical intervention. The operation was performed on Tuesday.
She is now resting and recovering surrounded by her family, and her prognosis is excellent.
Team Statement
King’s family issued a joint statement thanking the team’s medical staff, King’s teammates, and the hospital medical staff for their care.
On behalf of our entire family, along with Savy, we have been deeply moved by the love and support of the players, staff, fans, and the Angel City community, as well as soccer fans across the country. We are blessed to share that Savy is recovering well and we look forward to having her home with us soon.
Family Statement
The players from both teams showed signs of shock as the coaches attended to King, who fell to the ground in the 74th minute of the match. She was attended to for about 10 minutes before being taken off the field on a stretcher.
Angel City reported that King was conscious when being transported to the hospital and that further evaluations were being performed.
We are grateful to the medical staff at Angel City, as well as the local paramedics who handled this difficult situation smoothly.
NWSL Statement
Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman offered prayers for King and his family in an Instagram story, adding: “In no world should that game have continued.”
The league announced that it will review its policies to determine if changes are necessary.
The NWSL rules for 2025 state that the league “recognizes that emergencies may arise that make the start or development of a match inadvisable or dangerous for participants and spectators. Certain categories of events automatically trigger the League Office to assess whether a delay or postponement is necessary.”
12 minutes of stoppage time were added to the match. Angel City won the match 2-0.
King, 20, was the second overall pick in the 2024 NWSL draft by expansion team Bay FC and played 18 games for the club. She was traded to Angel City in February and had started in all eight games this season.
