Good News: Savy King out of the hospital, posts thanks to those who ‘saved my life’

While she’s smiling, it’s hard not to notice how young and vulnerable she looks. She also indicated that the medical incident on the field was far more serious than the team and the league had suggested, praising the medical team for saving her life.

The team announced earlier Sunday that King was released on Saturday. Quite remarkable, after having surgery for a heart condition on Tuesday.

King collapsed in the 74th minute of the game in Los Angeles on May 16. Trainers tended to her for more than 10 minutes, before she was carted off the field and into an ambulance. Players and fans were visibly shaken, but the game continued.

That resulted in a torrent of criticism leveled at the league. According to NWSL protocol, the league had the final say on whether the game continued. It was unclear whether Commissioner Jessica Berman herself was involved.

The NWSL issued a series of statements via social media during the week. The first gave thanks for the responders and medical personal who aided King, another said it was reviewing its policies surrounding player safety, then on Friday the league admitted it had erred in allowing the game to continue.

The admission came after the NWSL Players Association weighed in, saying:

“These moments demand humanity, sound judgment, and restraint. Any medical emergency that requires the administration of life-saving care should bring play to an end. The match should not have continued,” the NWSLPA said.

The pointed statement concluded: “Incidents of this severity must prioritize our collective humanity and should automatically trigger suspension of the match. The Players Association is committed to making this the standard in NWSL.”

Angel City visited Bay FC in a match on Saturday night, the team’s first game since King’s collapse. Before kickoff at San Jose’s PayPal Park, both teams wore shirts that read ‘SK3’. Angel City captain Sarah Gorden also held up King’s jersey during the team photo.

NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman spoke to reporters at halftime. Berman was at the match to celebrate the league’s partnership with Alex Cooper of the Call her Daddy podcast.

“All we could do is learn from the experience and conclude that in a future situation, we will ensure that our policies and protocols do not allow the game to continue,” she said in her first comments about King’s collapse.

The whole media availability was tense. You can see it below. Kudos to The Athletic’s Tamerra Griffen for asking the tough questions. We still don’t know who made the call to continue the game. There were other issues, too: Was there a backup ambulance brought to the match after King was transported to the hospital?

“As we’ve reviewed the situation, I don’t think it’s constructive to recount who did what and when,” Berman said.

She also said the investigation into Bay FC’s coaching staff and the concerns of players revealed in a report by Marisa Ingemi of the San Francisco Chronicle last month was ongoing.

LINKS

Didn’t want this to get lost in the shuffle, but I wrote about the different paths that emerging NWSL stars have taken to launch their pro careers, not that the soccer ecosystem is expanding. Gave you guys a teaser in last week’s soccer Monday with my interview of Sam Meza .

Chelsea won the FA Cup

Claire Watkins wrote a nice story for Just Women’s Sports on Alyssa Thompson.

Here’s Tamerra Griffin’s story for the Athletic on Berman’s comments

Alex Morgan invests in the San Diego Wave

Jeff Kassouf writes about whether the NWSL teams defying expectations can keep it up.

Theo LLoyd-Hughes’ recap of Friday’s matches for The AP.

The Star Tribune asks whether the Aurora will ever be part of the NWSL.

Denver City Council approves the NWSL stadium deal

ESPN with everything you need to know about World Sevens Fooball

Nike revealed its 2025 soccer kits

Ohanian buys interest in Chelsea women

FIFA is targeting $1 billion return for 2027 Women’s World Cup.

The WSL’s rebranding is flashy, but does it serve football?

New research into menstrual cycles provides insight into ACL injuries.

Everton women find new home at Goodison Park

Amputee women’s football team provides hope in Bangledesh

WATCH:

Here’s video of Berman’s availability with reporters during this past weekend’s Bay FC and Angel City match in San Jose, from the Bay Area New Sports Wrap: