The NWSL Matchday 20 clash didn’t unfold as many had expected. On Sunday, Seattle Reign hosted Racing Louisville at Lumen Field. But what began as a battle for three crucial points couldn’t even reach the 90-minute mark as the game was abandoned less than half an hour after kick-off when Louisville star Savannah DeMelo suddenly collapsed during play. The 27-year-old immediately received medical attention, and the match was abruptly halted.

Following on-field treatment, DeMelo was transported to a local hospital, with both the NWSL and Racing Louisville confirming that her condition was “stable and alert.” While that news brought some relief to the soccer community, the incident raised questions about the cause of her health scare. As it turns out, DeMelo herself has previously revealed the answer: the USWNT midfielder suffers from hyperthyroidism.

This shocking revelation was made earlier this year to ESPN, where she admitted to being diagnosed with this problem last fall. In fact, this wasn’t the first time Savannah had collapsed during play and been forced off the pitch. Back on March 22, during a clash with Bay FC, the former USC Trojan experienced intense chest pain and dizziness. “Playing a 90-minute game felt unbearable,” DeMelo said.

Her heart rate refused to settle, and she struggled to breathe for several minutes before signaling to the referee that she couldn’t continue. She was stretchered off the field at PayPal Park and taken to a nearby hospital — a frightening moment for both teammates and spectators. “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,” she added.

To be fair, Savannah DeMelo hadn’t felt like herself since last year. Having endured a breakout 2023 NWSL season that earned her a starting spot on the USWNT World Cup team despite being uncapped, it was back in September 2024 when she noticed something unusual on her Oura Ring, which tracks health and sleep. The device showed her resting heart rate at 85 beats per minute—about double her normal rate.

“I thought maybe I just needed more sleep, or that travel and diet were affecting me,” she said. But she didn’t know it was more than that. In the following month, an October visit from her mother, who is a nurse by the way, noticed that DeMelo’s thyroid was enlarged. Her mom urged her to get bloodwork, which revealed a problem: hyperthyroidism, a condition that accelerates bodily functions and can cause symptoms like rapid heart rate and weight loss.

About 1 in 100 Americans aged 12 and older has hyperthyroidism, which is more common in women and older adults. She was also diagnosed with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder that can trigger hyperthyroidism. Notably, ESPN reported that Dr. Jennifer Daily, Racing Louisville’s chief medical officer, stated that DeMelo is the first athlete in her experience with both hyperthyroidism and Graves’ disease at her age.

Genetics may also play a role—DeMelo’s mother has hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid. No wonder the Bellflower, California native sat out Louisville’s final 2024 game as a precaution. While her diagnosis hadn’t affected her performance, it did take a physical toll during matches. DeMelo clarified that instances of losing the ball weren’t directly caused by her thyroid issues.

She acknowledged that, at times, she was simply having an off game. Instead, she felt the challenges were more related to her energy levels—her ability to make runs, maintain stamina, make clear decisions on the ball, and stay active both offensively and defensively. She explained that her style of play, which requires being “everywhere” on the field, had been limited because she was truly exhausted. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t working on it.

Savannah DeMelo isn’t what she thinks she was after all!

After her bloodwork in October, Racing Louisville quickly connected her with an endocrinologist. She began medication to slow her thyroid and lower her heart rate, which helped her feel stable. Preseason testing in January, including thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, showed normal results, just in time for her first USWNT camp recall in over a year.

In fact, Savannah DeMelo made it a habit for herself to regularly see her endocrinologist on a monthly basis and get bloodwork every three weeks. But as the Bay FC match forced her to reschedule the appointment, who would have thought it would end up becoming her first major on-pitch health scare? Sadly, major drops in heart rate saw her leave the game in between, and she rushed to the hospital with her mother by her side.

This incident brings to mind a similar scare involving Angel City player Savy King. Just months after DeMelo’s first health episode, King also collapsed near the end of NWSL Matchday 8 against Utah Royals at BMO Stadium on May 9, 2025, due to a heart attack. Fortunately, the 20-year-old recovered fully, a few days later, sharing an update with her fans, thanking the Angel City staff for their life-saving efforts.

It even saw DeMelo express her support for the youngster, but she clarified her situation was much different than her NWSL rival. “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.”

That only made DeMelo start taking a single pill daily (skipping Sundays) to manage her symptoms, though thyroid removal surgery remains a long-term option she hopes to avoid. And the reason was fervently defended by Dr. Jennifer Daily. “This is a very big diagnosis, because it’s chronic and so it’s something that she is going to need to have frequent office visits, frequent lab draws, and those things are stressful,” she said to ESPN.

Not to mention the mental and emotional toll on the athlete is already significant, and having such a treatment and its medications can result in some “side effects.” So Savannah’s only option is to keep herself more aware and educated about her condition with each day. Then again, little did she know she was feeling more like herself, with restored energy and peace of mind.

The Louisville admitted that she could even push her body and perform at her best again. “I think that’s still who I am, and I’m hoping that kind of being back consistently now can help me to have consistent performances like I did,” she vocally told ESPN. The midfielder has been able to make 18 NWSL appearances so far.

What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.