‘We all played for her': Bay FC, Angel City honor Savy King during match

San Francisco Chronicle​

18-05-2025

Before Bay FC's match against Angel City on Saturday, players from both teams walked side by side onto the pitch, not in their game kits, but wearing matching black T-shirts bearing the message: 'SK3.'
The shirts were a tribute to Savy King, the 20-year-old Angel City defender who collapsed during a match against Utah last Friday. King, a former Bay FC player who wears No. 3, was rushed to the hospital where she was diagnosed with a heart condition and underwent surgery.
King was a member of Bay FC's inaugural roster last season, and many on their current squad were her teammates. In their 2-0 win over Angel City on Saturday, the emotional weight of King's condition was felt on both sidelines.
'When I first saw what happened it was very sad, and it was just very scary too, because we know Savy, and that was our teammate,' said forward Penelope Hocking. 'If that were to happen to anyone in the league, it's scary, so this is just a way for us to come together, it's just bigger than soccer at that point.'
Bay FC head coach Albertin Montoya said both clubs coordinated earlier in the week to find a meaningful way to honor King after the incident 'took a toll' on players.
'I'd like to believe that we all played for her there, both teams,' he said. 'So just very thankful that she's getting better, and when we hope to see her on the field soon.'
In the immediate aftermath of King's collapse, controversy emerged over the league's handling of the situation. Utah head coach Jimmy Coenraets said the match never should have continued. The NWSL Players Association quickly issued a statement demanding changes to the league's emergency protocols. U.S. women's national team star Trinity Rodman echoed the frustration on Instagram, writing, 'In no world should that game have continued.'
On Tuesday, Angel City confirmed that King had undergone a successful surgery and called her prognosis 'excellent.' Emergency personnel had to perform chest compressions on the field as part of life-saving measures before she was transported to the hospital.
Following the conclusion of last Friday's match, Utah midfielder and former Bay FC teammate Alex Loera led a prayer at midfield in King's honor.
After initially defending its protocols, the NWSL reversed course later in the week and acknowledged that the game should not have continued. Commissioner Jessica Berman reiterated that stance on Saturday during halftime of the Bay FC–Angel City match.
'It is ultimately the league's responsibility to manage whether a game plays or doesn't play,' Berman told reporters. 'That is the basis of our decision this week: The game will not continue in the future if anything like that should happen again.'
Berman declined to detail why the initial decision to continue play was made.
'I don't think it's constructive to recount who did what and when,' she said. 'Our focus really has been on ensuring that all of our medical procedures were followed, and that on a go forward basis, the game would not continue and it won't in the future.'
King, a standout center back out of North Carolina, was the No. 2 overall pick in last year's NWSL draft by Bay FC. She missed part of her rookie season to represent the U.S. U-20 women's national team and is widely regarded as one of the top young defenders in the country. She was traded to Angel City during the offseason.
Fans at Saturday's match showed their support with handmade signs, many in heart shapes, adorned with her No. 3. Angel City players held up her jersey during their pregame photo.
The incident has been another learning moment for a league that has had plenty of them. The players, though, were just glad to know King was recovering safely.
'We wish her nothing but the best,' said forward Caroline Conti, who was a rookie with King and noted that she texted her after she went to the hospital. 'We hope she has a safe and healthy recovery, because, most importantly, you're a person first.'
Briefly: Hocking scored in the 22nd minute and Conti in the 27th on a penalty kick.