Angel City defender Savy King is in a responsive state and receiving medical attention at a hospital following her collapse during the second half of the team`s 2-0 victory over the Utah Royals on Friday.
King fell to the ground in the 74th minute and was attended to by medical staff on the field for approximately 10 minutes before being replaced by Megan Reid and transported to a nearby hospital for further checks.
Angel City issued a statement Friday confirming King “was transported by EMS to the hospital following a medical event on the field. She is responsive and undergoing further evaluation. We thank everyone for their concern and support.”
The NWSL released a statement Saturday, stating King was still under evaluation and indicating the league might review policies concerning matches resuming after such incidents.
The NWSL statement elaborated: “Following a medical event on the field last night, ACFC`s Savy King was transported by EMS to the hospital… Savy left the field in stable condition, and currently remains stable and will be undergoing further evaluation. League protocols were followed… We are grateful… the NWSL will review and determine if changes to that protocol need to be made. We share everyone`s concern about Savy, and our thoughts are with her, her family, the Utah Royals players and staff, and the Angel City players, staff and community.”
The NWSL faced criticism for letting the match continue after King`s substitution in the 84th minute. While resuming play isn`t against league rules or uncommon in the sport, the NWSL`s 2025 rules permit postponement or cancellation in cases of “serious incident, injury or fatality… or other medical concern.” Among critics was Royals head coach Jimmy Coenraets, who felt the game should have stopped.
Coenraets commented post-match: “In those moments, I`m not sure if we should have continued the game… You`re emotionally — not only them, but also our players were just scared. That`s not the right situation to be in… It was a really tough moment… Yes, you have the result of the game, but you want to make sure people feel safe, healthy, and good, and I think that was the focus after the game for us.”
Trinity Rodman, a star for the U.S. women`s national team and Washington Spirit, expressed similar feelings on Instagram Stories Saturday.
Rodman wrote: “Prayers for [King] as well as her loved ones and the players that were on that field. In no world should that game have continued…”
A Scary Situation
Angel City assistant coach Eleni Earnshaw, serving as acting head coach due to interim boss Sam Laity`s suspension, confirmed club medical staff and King`s family were with her at the hospital. She also praised King`s teammates for their reaction to the collapse.
Earnshaw gave a post-match press conference: “I just gave a shoutout in our locker room to Meg Reid, [who] as you know, is a trained paramedic… While Christen [Press] and her teammates were instrumental… Meg saw… they were starting to move Savy onto a stretcher and reiterated… that was a really good sign. She just stepped into paramedic mode and helped calm the group, which was massive. It was still scary… My ask was that we were together, we stayed communicative… keep each other concentrated and that we give our energy to Savy.”
After the match ended, players from both Angel City and the Utah Royals formed a circle at midfield, led by the Royals` Alex Lorea, who played with King at Bay FC last season.
Earnshaw explained: “It was one of the Utah players that suggested it, that we get together. Some people prayed, some people shared their energy. Just to show unity in that moment in support of Savy without knowing the update at that time… It was obviously a scary situation to be in and, at that point, it was much bigger than football. Really grateful to the Utah player that did that, I can`t remember off the top of my head who it was but really grateful for it.”
Specific details regarding King`s condition or a timeline for her return to playing are currently unavailable.
