That night, King went down in the 74th minute and received medical attention on the field that saved her life. She was then taken off the field via a cart and transported by emergency medical services to a nearby hospital in Los Angeles. King would later learn that she was born with an anomalous left coronary artery.<\/p>\n
Despite both sets of players looking visibly shaken by the incident, the National Women\u2019s Soccer League (NWSL) opted not to abandon the game. After a lengthy stoppage of around 10 minutes, the game was eventually concluded. After the final whistle, a prayer circle between both teams was held with some players brought to tears.<\/p>\n
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\n The May 9 incident shook the league and prompted change in how it deals with such medical situations. (Harry How \/ NWSL via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
This decision, that ultimately fell on the shoulders of the league and commissioner Jess Berman, came under scrutiny. Both teams admitted they would have been content with the game being abandoned after King went down.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn those moments, I\u2019m not sure if we should have continued the game,\u201d Royals head coach Jimmy Coenrates said. \u201cYou\u2019re emotionally \u2014 not only them but also our players were just scared. That\u2019s not the right situation to be in but in the end, we played on. That\u2019s the decision other people have taken, which is fine. It was a really tough moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
The NWSL Players Association praised the swift response of the medical team but also felt that the game should have been abandoned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile the medical response demonstrated the highest level of competence and care, the decision to continue play demonstrated how player safety is weighed and operationalized in real time,\u201d said the NWSLPA via a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cIncidents of this severity must prioritize our collective humanity and should automatically trigger suspension of the game. The Players Association is committed to making this the standard in NWSL.\u201d<\/p>\n
By the end of the 2025 season, the NWSL showed that it had revised its protocol in the wake of King\u2019s medical emergency. A game between the Seattle Reign and Racing Louisville was abandoned in the first half after Savannah DeMelo was also required to leave the game due to a medical emergency on September 15, 2025.<\/p>\n