Savy King made her emotional return to soccer Sunday night, coming on as a substitute for Angel City FC in their NWSL season opener against Chicago Stars FC. The 21-year-old had been sidelined since May 9, 2025, when she suffered a cardiac event during a match against Utah Royals that required open heart surgery.

King entered the match in the 63rd minute to a standing ovation from the home crowd at BMO Stadium, with Angel City leading 2-0. The hosts went on to win 4-0, scoring twice more after her entrance. King played just over 30 minutes in her first competitive action in more than 10 months.

"I was super nervous, honestly," King said after the match. "But when I got on the pitch I was thinking, 'I've been here before and I'm ready for this.'" The Southern California native had spent the previous months in cardiac rehabilitation at Cedars Sinai before being cleared for full contact practice this preseason.