Soccer Fans Want to Know What Happened After USWNT Star Savannah DeMelo Collapsed
Savannah DeMelo is a midfielder for the Racing Louisville FC of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).
Published Sept. 16 2025, 2:59 p.m. ET
Sports fans are familiar with their favorite athletes suffering injuries during games, but seeing it still prompts a cause for concern. That’s what many USWNT fans felt after soccer star Savannah DeMelo recently collapsed on the field. Let’s find out the details about what happened.
What happened to Savannah DeMelo?
During the Sept. 14 match against the Seattle Reign, Savannah appeared faint and unsteady early in the first half of the match, according to CNN.
A few minutes later, Savannah sat on the field of play two minutes into the first half, as one of her teammates attended to her and a referee sent trainers to see what was wrong.
As she was being evaluated, she collapsed, and another Racing Louisville teammate came to her aid and held her arm to keep her upright, per the outlet.
Following her collapse, Racing Louisville released a statement regarding Savannah’s incident, which they referred to as a “medical emergency.”
“Savannah, who received immediate on-field care from medical personnel, is stable and alert. She was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation,” the statement said, per CNN. “The remainder of the game will be rescheduled for a later date, and further updates will be provided as appropriate.”
She previously left a match earlier this season after experiencing dizziness and chest tightness, related to her hyperthyroidism and Graves’ disease diagnosis in 2024, something she discussed with ESPN back in May.
“Playing a 90-minute game felt unbearable,” she told the outlet. “I would get to maybe the 25th minute, and I felt like my heart was just like beating so fast, like out of my chest. I felt so out of breath, so out of shape. I didn’t really know what was going on.”
Savannah provided an update on her health via a statement on Monday, Sept. 15.
The soccer star thanked her family and medical staff for being by her side through the scary ordeal. “I’m lucky to have my family with me while I’m waiting for test results to come back,” she said, per CNN.
“I’m extremely thankful to our whole medical staff for the quick response,” Savannah added. “They’ve been with me every step of the way. The support from everyone has truly meant the world to me, and I’m excited to cheer on the girls this week.”
The NWSL also shared its plans for moving forward following Savannah’s on-field incident.
“Our first priority is (DeMelo’s) health and safety, and we are in close communication with Reigh FC and Racing Louisville’s medical teams,” the organization said via statement, per the New York Times. “We recognize the concern this incident may cause, particularly in light of recent conversations around player safety.”
“The NWSL remains committed to ensuring that the highest standards of medical care and emergency response are in place at every match,” the statement continued.