Midfielder Savannah DeMelo has signed a new contract with Racing Louisville FC through the 2027 season, with a club option for 2028, ahead of her expected return to the field on Saturday for the first time in over a year.
DeMelo has re-signed with the club despite suing the team's outgoing medical partner, the University of Louisville Health, for failing to diagnose a heart condition that led to her suffering cardiac arrest on the field during a match last September.
"I'm so excited to finally be returning to the field," DeMelo said in a statement to ESPN. "I've worked incredibly hard to get to this point and can't wait to get back to playing again. This place has been my home for the past five years, and I'm excited to keep building my roots that I have established here on and off the field."
DeMelo has not played a competitive match since her on-field medical incident in Seattle on Sept. 14, 2025. That match was halted and DeMelo was taken to a local hospital.
She will be available for selection on Saturday in Louisville's home game against Utah Royals FC.
Earlier this month, DeMelo revealed in an Instagram post that she "collapsed due to an undiagnosed cardiac arrhythmia, that caused me to go into cardiac arrest."
In a lawsuit, DeMelo alleges that physicians from University of Louisville Health failed to properly diagnose her conditions prior to the cardiac incident.
In March 2025, DeMelo left a match and was hospitalized after feeling lightheaded on the pitch. She spoke to ESPN two months later 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."
DeMelo's lawsuit alleges negligence from the physicians and the University of Louisville Health, who have been Racing Louisville's medical partner and employs the club's chief medical officer. Multiple sources familiar with the arrangement told ESPN that the agreement ends this year and will not be renewed.
The University of Louisville Health previously declined to comment, citing pending litigation.
DeMelo also could not comment on the ongoing lawsuit.
"I respect and appreciate the privacy everyone has met me with while going through everything I have this year," DeMelo wrote in her previous Instagram post. "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.
DeMelo has tallied 17 goals and eight assists in 79 regular-season games for Racing Louisville.
The 28-year-old midfielder 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 Women's World Cup roster despite being uncapped. She started the United States' opening two games at that World Cup.
"We are so excited to have Sav back with us," Racing Louisville head coach Bev Yanez said in a statement. "This is such an exciting time for her, and she has worked incredibly hard. Her positive outlook and approach throughout the process have been so impressive. We are thrilled to have her back in the environment and can't wait to see her continue to grow and contribute to the group."
Racing Louisville sits in 15th place in the 16-team NWSL (7-17-2, 23 pts.) and is officially eliminated from playoff contention.
DeMelo has been Racing's most significant long-term absence this season. The club made its only playoff appearance in its brief history last year.
Racing Louisville faces uncertainty as a franchise, as ESPN reported earlier this month. 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 previously reported.
Source: ESPN Soccer
