Savy King, a defender for Angel City, has been released from the hospital. This follows successful heart surgery, marking the start of her recovery approximately one week after she experienced a medical incident during her team`s match against the Utah Royals.
Angel City confirmed her discharge in a statement on Sunday, stating, `Savy King was discharged from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center yesterday, May 17, and is home with her family resting comfortably.` The club and King`s family expressed their deep appreciation for the `expert medical care` provided by the medical professionals at Cedars-Sinai, in consultation with Angel City`s own medical staff. Angel City reiterated its commitment to supporting King throughout her recovery process.
King also spoke publicly for the first time since the incident, sharing photos from the hospital on Instagram on Sunday and conveying her thanks to everyone who sent well-wishes.
In her post, King wrote that she was `still finding the words to express just how much your love and support have meant to me over these past few days.` She emphasized that she wouldn`t be getting through this without her `incredible family,` `amazing teammates,` `the fans, the entire soccer community, and the outstanding medical team here at ACFC who saved my life and cared for me every step of the way.` She concluded by stating, `I know God`s got me and I`m looking forward to recovering and getting back out on the field!`
The medical event occurred when King collapsed in the second half of Angel City`s 2-0 victory over the Royals on May 9. After receiving medical attention on the field for about ten minutes, she was substituted off the field and transported to a local hospital in the Los Angeles area. She was later diagnosed with a heart abnormality, which was successfully corrected through surgery on Tuesday.
The decision by the NWSL not to stop the match after King`s collapse drew significant criticism from many, including Royals head coach Jimmy Coenraets and U.S. women`s national team and Washington Spirit star Trinity Rodman, who posted on Instagram the next day that `in no world should that game have continued.`
Following this, the NWSL Players Association called for a policy change stipulating that games must be halted in situations where a player requires life-saving medical assistance, as King did.
`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,` NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke stated in an interview. `We`re making it too hard. This is a very straightforward decision. 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.`
The NWSL ultimately conceded on Friday that the match should not have resumed and announced that their policy has been updated for future incidents.
A statement from the league read: `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.` They reaffirmed, `The health and well-being of the entire NWSL community remains our top priority, and in any similar situation going forward the game should and would be abandoned.`
Savy King remained a central focus when Angel City returned to the field on Saturday. Her teammates arrived at their match against Bay FC wearing black shirts displaying `SK3,` representing her initials and jersey number. Bay FC`s starting players also wore these shirts just before the match began, which Bay FC won 2-0.
NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman attended the game and addressed the media, describing King`s medical emergency as a learning opportunity 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 said on Saturday. `Everything that we do, every season gives us an opportunity to learn and do better and that`s what we`re committed to do going forward.`
Dominic Ashworth