LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Racing Louisville midfielder Savannah DeMelo has returned home after a week-long hospital stay in Seattle following a medical emergency during a match last Sunday. The club issued a statement Friday confirming DeMelo had been discharged and is now resting in Louisville with her family.
“We’re pleased to report that Savannah DeMelo has been discharged from the hospital and is resting back in Louisville with her family,” Racing said in a statement. “We appreciate the continued support and well-wishes for Savannah.”
DeMelo collapsed late in the first half of Racing’s NWSL road match against the Seattle Reign, prompting an immediate stoppage. The remainder of the match was postponed and completed two days later, with Seattle winning 1-0 in an empty stadium.
Her situation marked the second high-profile medical emergency during a league match this season, following Angel City defender Savy King’s on-field collapse in May, which resulted in CPR being administered. That game controversially continued despite visible distress among players and coaches.
On a media call Thursday, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said the league has learned from that mistake.
“Just to state the obvious, the decision to not continue the game [in Seattle] was a no-brainer and did not require contemplation,” Berman said. “We at least now know exactly how to manage those situations and are confident that hopefully we’ll never have to do them again. But because we’ve had to now a couple of times in the same season, we’re at a set position to be prepared.”
In King’s case, the league later admitted it erred in allowing play to continue. Berman said that experience helped streamline the process when DeMelo collapsed.
“No one wants to have had experience practicing these policies,” Berman said, “but having had the opportunity to play it out earlier this year, assess and learn the things that we could do better — and then actually have the chance to do it better the second time around — was a moment that allowed us to show what we’re capable of.”
Berman confirmed that she personally made the call to halt play in Seattle.
“In that particular situation, I got the phone call that Savannah had a medical emergency and needed treatment, and that everyone who was there was pretty rattled,” she said. “And [I] immediately directed the team to abandon the game.”
DeMelo’s collapse and recovery drew an outpouring of support from players, coaches, and fans around the league. The club previously said she was “awake and in good spirits” while hospitalized in Seattle.
No specific medical details have been released.
Top Stories:
CRAWFORD | Caullin the shots: Lacy’s big day carries Louisville past Bowling Green, 40-17
Louisville-area high school football coverage — Week 5
CRAWFORD | Louder than Life: Lacy carries Louisville, but offensive questions linger
Copyright 2025 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
