CNN
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Angel City defender Sabbiking had a successful heart surgery on Tuesday after collapsed in a National Women’s Football League (NWSL) match on Friday.
The 20-year-old fell to the ground in the 74th minute of an Angel City match against the Utah Royals, attended by a medical professional who appears to be managing CPR.
About ten minutes after the collapse, King was stretching out of the field with an oxygen mask on his face, causing some players to visibly suffer.
In a statement released Tuesday night, Angel City said King was taken to Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on Saturday.
After taking the test, it was discovered that King had a heart abnormality and that the surgery was successful to deal with it.
“She is now resting and recovering, surrounded by her family and has a good prognosis,” Angel City said.
King’s family also issued its own statement and thanked the medical staff for their care.
“On behalf of the whole family, along with Saby, we have been very impressed with the love and support we have from Angel City players, staff, fans, the community and football fans across the country,” they said. “I’m blessed to be able to share that Savy is recovering well and look forward to having her home soon.
“We would like to thank the incredible Angel City medical staff for acting quickly and for the medical team who gave her such exceptional care. We will never forget the kindness and care you have shown.
After Friday’s match, Angel City won 2-0 with goals from Kristen Press and Alyssa Thompson – a set of both players joined each other to pray for the King.
Some players appeared to have been affected by King’s collapse, but the match resumed after King left the field.
King, who was selected as Bay FC for the second overall pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft, started all eight Angel City games this season and joined the club in February.
Prior to joining the NWSL, she played at the University of North Carolina and made multiple appearances on the U.S. Youth Varsity Team at the Under-17 and Under-20 levels.
