King was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles following the medical event in the second half of Angel City’s match against the Utah Royals
Angel City’s flamboyant defender Savy King underwent heart surgery after she collapsed on the field during a National Women’s Soccer League match last week. King was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles following the medical event in the second half of Angel City’s match against the Utah Royals.
Doctors who evaluated King discovered a heart abnormality. “She is now resting and recovering surrounded by her family, and her prognosis is excellent,” the team said in a statement.
According to eyewitnesses, players on both sides got shaken as trainers rushed to King’s side after she went down in the 74th minute of the match. She was attended to for 10 minutes before she was stretchered off the field and taken to the hospital. The 20-year-old was the second overall pick in the 2024 NWSL draft by expansion Bay FC and played 18 games for the club. She was traded to Angel City in February and had started in all eight games for the team this season.
What is a heart abnormality?
According to experts, heart or cardiac abnormalities refer to any structural or functional problems with the heart. Doctors say these can be present at birth—congenital—or even develop later in life. Cardiac abnormalities affect various parts of the heart, including the valves, chambers, walls, and blood vessels.
There are many different types of congenital heart defects—some of which are serious and may need several surgeries and treatments. A few of these include:
Hole in the Heart
Also known as a septal defect, doctors say it means you are born with a hole in the wall, or septum, that separates the left and right sides of your heart. The hole lets blood from the two sides mix.
Atrial Septal Defect
An ASD is a hole in the wall between the upper chambers, or the right and left atria, of your heart. A hole here lets blood from the left atrium mix with blood in the right atrium. Doctors say many times, ASDs close on their own; however, you may need to repair a medium or large ASD with open-heart surgery or another procedure.
Valve defects
Experts say valves control the flow of blood through your heart’s ventricles and arteries. A few minor heart defects can involve the valves, which include stenosis, regurgitation, atresia, and Ebstein’s anomaly.
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