Savy King’s athletic success is rooted in the support and values instilled by her parents, Karrie and Kim King.
Savannah “Savy” King has emerged as one of American soccer’s brightest talents in recent years.
The 21-year-old defender plays for Angel City FC in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) after being selected second overall by Bay FC in the 2024 NWSL Draft.
King’s rapid rise in professional soccer came after just one season with the North Carolina Tar Heels, where she started all 23 games as a freshman and earned All-ACC second team honors.
Her international experience includes representing the United States at both the under-17 and under-20 levels, helping secure bronze at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
King’s promising career faced a frightening setback on May 9, 2025, when she collapsed on the field during Angel City’s match against the Utah Royals.
Medical personnel rushed to her aid, performing what appeared to be chest compressions before transporting her to a local hospital with an oxygen mask.
The match was briefly delayed as players from both teams gathered in prayer. Angel City later confirmed King was responsive and undergoing further evaluation, with her family by her side.
The incident brought widespread concern and support from across the soccer community, highlighting the impact she’s already made in her short professional career.
Savy King’s Parents Fueled Her Athletic Journey
Behind Savy King’s remarkable athletic journey stands a pair of supportive parents who have played crucial roles in shaping her path to success.
Though neither Karrie King nor Kim Parker King played soccer themselves, they created an environment where athletic excellence and academic achievement were equally valued.
Karrie King brings her own impressive athletic pedigree to the family. A former professional biathlete, she competed in the Coors Light Biathlon Series in the late 1980s, combining running and cycling at an elite level.
At just 19, Karrie was the youngest competitor to crack the women’s top 10, finishing sixth in the national championships in Phoenix in 1989.
Her athletic journey began at Granada Hills High School, where she excelled in track and cross-country before transitioning to cycling in 1986 following a skiing accident that resulted in a stress fracture.
“She’s self-driven. She’s self-motivated,” Karrie says of her daughter, recognizing the same mental toughness that defined her own athletic career.
When COVID-19 lockdowns hit in 2020, Karrie stepped in to design a comprehensive training program for Savy, ensuring she maintained peak fitness despite the disruption.
Kim Parker King maintains a less public profile but is equally influential in Savy’s development.
Together with Karrie, she encouraged Savy to explore various sports throughout her childhood.
“We put her in everything, but she chose soccer,” Kim explains.
“We have videos of her playing flag football with the boys, and dads are yelling to their sons, ‘Get her, get her!’ Nobody could catch her.”
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Kim takes particular pride in Savy’s ability to balance her athletic pursuits with academic excellence.
“Seeing my daughter become an elite athlete is fun to watch. She travels so much for soccer, and she still maintains her 4.0 GPA. She’s just as invested in her education as she is in her sport. She’s so much more than a soccer player.”
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The Kings created a supportive yet competitive environment for Savy and her twin brother Parker, born just minutes apart.
Their parents instilled important values about competition and personal growth, teaching them to “be the author of your own stories” and to focus on their individual journeys rather than comparing themselves to others. Savy recalls her parents advising,
“Make sure you’re staying focused on yourself and not comparing yourself to goals other people are setting for themselves. Everyone’s journey is different. Focus on your own path.”
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Despite not picking up the sport until age 10 with a recreational AYSO team, her exceptional athleticism and competitive drive quickly propelled her to elite status.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Despite her soccer success, Savy King set impressive track records at Agoura High School, breaking long-standing school records in both the 200-meter (25.49) and 400-meter dash (56.87) events.
- Savy demonstrated exceptional versatility in flag football during her time at Agoura High, once recording an astounding six interceptions and four touchdowns in a single game.
- Before beginning her college career at North Carolina, Savy entered into a name, image, and likeness (NIL) agreement with Nike, showing her marketability even as a young athlete.
