Racing Louisville FC midfielder Savannah DeMelo is suing University of Louisville Health and two physicians for allegedly failing to diagnose a heart condition that led to her suffering a cardiac arrest on the field during a match in September 2025.
DeMelo revealed the reason for her collapse for the first time on Monday, marking the one-year anniversary of the event. She said in an Instagram post that she “collapsed due to an undiagnosed cardiac arrhythmia, that caused me to go into cardiac arrest.”
According to the lawsuit document obtained by Joe Sonka of Kentucky Public Media and seen by ESPN, DeMelo alleges that physicians from University of Louisville Health failed to properly diagnose her conditions prior to the cardiac incident that took place on the field in Seattle on Sept. 14, 2025.
That match was halted late in the first half following DeMelo’s collapse. She was taken to a nearby hospital for assessment and has not played in a match since. Monday was the first time that DeMelo revealed she had gone into cardiac arrest that night. In her message, she thanked doctors at the University of Washington and the Mayo Clinic.
“I respect and appreciate the privacy everyone has met me with while going through everything I have this year,” DeMelo wrote. “I’ll never be able to fully put into words how emotionally hard this year has been. There has been a lot of uncertainty and emotions intertwined with it all.”
DeMelo’s in-game health scare is the second known on-field cardiac incident from the 2025 NWSL season.
In May 2025, Angel City FC defender Savy King collapsed on the field and was taken to a hospital, where she soon underwent surgery for a heart abnormality that had not previously been identified.
That match finished after a long delay. The NWSL was heavily criticized, including by the NWSL Players Association, for allowing the match to continue. The league vowed to halt a match in any similar future circumstance, which is what happened in September 2025 when DeMelo was transported off the field.
DeMelo’s lawsuit alleges multiple forms of negligence against Dr. Jennifer Daily and Dr. Sarabjeet Suri, and the University of Louisville Health for failure to properly diagnose and treat her medical conditions, including her cardiac disease.
University of Louisville Health told ESPN it was unable to comment on pending litigation.
Racing Louisville has previously partnered with University of Louisville Health for positions on its medical staff. Daily serves as Racing Louisville’s chief medical officer and is employed by the University of Louisville. Multiple sources familiar with the arrangement told ESPN that the agreement ends this year and will not be renewed.
The lawsuit alleges that improper diagnoses have led to DeMelo incurring care-related expenses that will continue, as well as lost income and “permanent impairment in her power to labor and earn money.”
DeMelo was the No. 4 pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft and had a breakout season in 2023, leading to her selection to the United States’ 2023 World Cup roster despite being uncapped. She started the United States’ opening two games at the 2023 World Cup.
The lawsuit says that Daily referred DeMelo to Suri in March 2025 for complaints that included chest pain, dizziness and shortness of breath. According to the lawsuit, DeMelo remained under “continuous care and treatment” of Suri until Sept. 19, 2025.
In March 2025, DeMelo left a match and was hospitalized after feeling lightheaded on the pitch. She spoke to ESPN in May 2025 about being diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and trying to figure out the right medications for that. The March 2025 incident was, at the time, believed to be related to an imbalance from medication.
“Playing a 90-minute game felt unbearable,” DeMelo told ESPN at the time. “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.”
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DeMelo has not played this season. She could return to the field as early as this month, a source told ESPN. Racing Louisville faces its own uncertainty as a franchise, as ESPN reported last week. The team has lacked investment relative to other NWSL teams, including in its medical staff, and is actively seeking new ownership.
It is unclear whether the franchise will remain in Louisville long term. Owners from MLS‘ FC Cincinnati have engaged in conversations about purchasing the team and relocating it about 100 miles north to Cincinnati, ESPN reported last week.
