Angel City defender Savy King has been discharged from the hospital and is now recovering at home following successful heart surgery. This marks the next stage of her recovery, approximately a week after she experienced a medical event during her team`s match against the Utah Royals.
“Savy King was discharged from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center yesterday, May 17, and is home with her family resting comfortably,” Angel City announced in a statement on Sunday. The club expressed gratitude to the medical professionals at Cedars-Sinai and their own staff for the expert care King received. Angel City reiterated its commitment to supporting King throughout her recovery process.
King herself shared her first public comments since the incident via an Instagram post, including photos from the hospital. She conveyed her deep gratitude for the outpouring of support she received.
“I`m still finding the words to express just how much your love and support have meant to me over these past few days,” King wrote. She specifically thanked her family, teammates, fans, the wider soccer community, and the Angel City medical team, crediting them with saving her life and providing continuous care. King added, “I know God`s got me and I`m looking forward to recovering and getting back out on the field!”
The incident occurred in the second half of Angel City`s 2-0 victory over the Royals on May 9. King collapsed on the field, received medical attention for about 10 minutes, was substituted, and then taken to a Los Angeles hospital. She was later diagnosed with a heart abnormality, which was corrected through successful surgery on Tuesday.
The NWSL`s decision to allow the match to continue after King`s medical emergency drew significant criticism from various figures, including Royals head coach Jimmy Coenraets and USWNT star Trinity Rodman, who publicly stated the game should have been stopped.
The NWSL Players Association subsequently advocated for a policy change to ensure games are abandoned if a player requires life-saving care, as King did.
Meghann Burke, executive director of the NWSLPA, emphasized the need for a clear rule: “If player safety is of paramount importance, then I`m wondering what other factors could possibly be at play in a life-saving situation here… Life-saving measures on the field to revive a player or stabilize a player – or coach or referee – the game should stop playing… and this is the reason that the players are asking for a bright-line rule.”
Acknowledging the feedback and reviewing protocols, the NWSL admitted on Friday that the match should not have resumed and stated that their policy has been updated accordingly.
“Having reviewed our protocols and how they were implemented, and in listening to feedback from our stakeholders, the Angel City vs. Utah game last Friday night should not have continued and we regret that it did,” the NWSL`s statement read. They affirmed that the health and well-being of the NWSL community is the top priority and guaranteed that in similar future situations, games will be abandoned.
King remained a focus of support as Angel City played their next match against Bay FC on Saturday. Angel City players arrived wearing black shirts printed with `SK3` (King`s initials and jersey number). Bay FC`s starting players also wore these tribute shirts before kickoff.
NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman, who attended Saturday`s game, commented on King`s medical emergency, calling it a valuable learning experience for the league.
“As we went through that and regrouped internally, we, of course, came to the conclusion that the game should not have continued and that we were committed – and are committed – to ensuring that in a similar situation moving forward that it wouldn`t happen again,” Berman stated. She concluded that every season provides opportunities for learning and improvement, which the league is committed to.
Benedict Kingsley