Louisville’s Savannah DeMelo sues team doctors after cardiac arrest during game

Savannah DeMelo suffered a cardiac arrest on the field for Racing Louisville last year. Photograph: Steph Chambers/NWSL/Getty Images Racing Louisville midfielder Savannah DeMelo has filed a lawsuit against UofL Health and two named physicians for negligence after they allegedly failed to properly diagnose a heart condition before she suffered cardiac arrest in the first half of an NWSL game on 14 September 2025. According to an screenshot of the complaint, the filing claims that UofL Health “failed to act as a reasonably prudent and competent medical practice … and such negligence was a substantial factor in causing [DeMelo] to suffer severe physical injuries, including, but not limited to, her cardiac arrest.” Related: Saloons, school and specialty coffee: NWSL players enjoy new era of side hustles When contacted by the Guardian, a clerk with the Jefferson Circuit Court confirmed that the case was filed on Tuesday morning – a year and a day after her on-field cardiac arrest. Sources close to DeMelo and the club, speaking anonymously due to the sensitive nature of both her recovery and the filing, told the Guardian that Racing has already determined that it will not work with UofL Health after the current season. Neither named physician – including one listed on the club’s website as chief medical officer – is an employee of the club, instead working with the team as part of an agreement between the organizations. Racing is already in the process of finding a new medical partner ahead of the 2027 season. The sources also disclosed that DeMelo, whose contract was set to expire at the end of this season, has reached a verbal agreement with Racing to keep her at the club. The deal is pending league approval and could be announced as soon as next week. DeMelo is nearing a return to competitive action, having resumed full training with her teammates this week. A source said the current timeline could have her involved as soon as 25 September’s match, in which Louisville will host the San Diego Wave. A spokesperson for Racing Louisville declined to comment. UofL Health said it was unable to comment on pending litigation. A representative for DeMelo did not immediately reply to a request for comment. DeMelo has spent her entire professional career with Louisville, selected fourth overall in the 2022 NWSL Draft. Her progressive approach in midfield and set-piece prowess made her a surprise pick for the United States’ roster at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, becoming the third player in USWNT history to make a World Cup squad without having previously been capped. In late 2024, DeMelo was diagnosed with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder which causes an overactive thyroid. The midfielder disclosed her diagnosis midway through the following season, having exited a game on 22 March 2025 citing dizziness and chest tightness. Six months later, DeMelo collapsed on the field during a game in Seattle. That made her the second NWSL player to have a heart scare during a game last season, with Angel City defender Savy King suffering a cardiac arrest on 9 May 2025. “Savy King, my heart goes out to her,” DeMelo told ESPN. “I can’t imagine how scared [she was] and what she’s feeling, but we do have very different situations. … Mine was more due to the medication I was on and what my thyroid was doing to my body.”