NWSL says game should not have continued after Savy King collapsed on the field

The Associated Press

· Posted: May 16, 2025 2:43 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

A crippled betwixt Angel City and the Utah Royals should not person continued aft Savy King collapsed connected the tract and had to beryllium hospitalized, the National Women's Soccer League said Friday.

The league said it came to the decision aft reviewing its protocols and listening to feedback from stakeholders. There were persistent questions this week astir the league's procedures.

A league connection expressed regret for allowing past Friday's lucifer successful Los Angeles to spell connected aft the 20-year-old Angel City defender was carted disconnected the tract portion shaken players and fans looked on.

"The wellness and good being of the full NWSL assemblage remains our apical priority, and successful immoderate akin concern going guardant the crippled should and would beryllium abandoned," said the statement.

King underwent country connected Tuesday aft doctors discovered a bosom abnormality. The squad announced she is recovering and her prognosis is good.

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The NWSL Players Association was among those that said the lucifer should person been suspended aft King's illness successful the 74th minute. The players' national issued a connection Friday saying it was grateful the league listened to the concerns.

"The league's acknowledgement that the crippled should person ended — and its committedness to adopting this protocol for the future, should it ever beryllium needed — represents a meaningful measurement forward," the NWSLPA said. "It's a alteration made imaginable by the spot and unity of our players. Player information is not a slogan. It is simply a practice."

The NWSL said earlier this week that it was reviewing its protocols. The league yet makes the determination erstwhile it comes to suspending, canceling oregon postponing games.

NWSL rules for 2025 authorities that the league "recognizes that emergencies whitethorn originate which marque the commencement oregon progression of a Game inadvisable oregon unsafe for participants and spectators. Certain lawsuit categories automatically trigger the League Office into an valuation of whether hold oregon postponement is necessary."

King was the second-overall prime successful the 2024 NWSL draught by enlargement Bay FC and played 18 games for the club. She was traded to Angel City successful February and had started successful each 8 games for the squad this season.