Racing Louisville FC and star midfielder Savannah DeMelo have agreed to a new contract through the 2027 season, with a club option for 2028, ahead of her return to the pitch.
DeMelo’s previous deal ran through the end of the 2026 campaign.
DeMelo — who ranks top three all-time for minutes played, goals and assists in Racing history — will be newly available for selection Saturday as the club hosts Utah Royals FC. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET at Lynn Family Stadium. DeMelo last appeared for the club on Sept. 14, 2025, at Seattle Reign FC, leaving the game late in the first half after she suffered a medical emergency.
“I’m so excited to finally be returning to the field,” said DeMelo. “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, 28, has recorded 17 goals and eight assists in 79 regular-season Racing appearances — 77 of them starts. She led Racing in goal contributions in 2023 and 2024 and is the club’s all-time leader in chances created (151) and fouls won (271).
Across her first three professional seasons (2022–2024), DeMelo emerged as a premier NWSL midfielder, becoming one of only two players in the league to achieve both 100 chances created and 20 combined goals and assists. No player since she entered the league has scored more than DeMelo’s 3 goals from direct free kicks.
“We are so excited to have Sav back with us,” said Racing head coach Bev Yanez. “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.”
The dynamic midfielder is the first and only Racing player to earn an NWSL Player of the Month honor (May 2023). DeMelo has been selected to the league’s monthly Best XI four times, most recently in May 2024.
She was selected by Racing with the fourth pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft and made her professional debut for the club on March 25, 2022.
“We are very excited for Sav to return and equally thrilled that she has chosen to continue her time in Louisville,” Racing general manager Caitlyn Flores Milby said. “I couldn’t imagine a Racing Louisville without Sav, with everything she has given to the club, especially for her to overcome what she has gone through over the last year. Her tenacity has been amazing to watch. We look forward to seeing her on the field soon and into the future.”
A Bellflower, Calif., native, DeMelo starred collegiately at the University of Southern California, where she was a four-time All-Pac-12 honoree and an All-American in 2018. She made 75 appearances for the Trojans, scoring 17 goals and providing 28 assists — tied for the third-most in school history.
Internationally, DeMelo has earned seven caps for the U.S. Women’s National Team, making her debut ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup on July 9, 2023, versus Wales. She became the first USWNT player since Shannon Boxx in 2003 to make a U.S. World Cup roster without previously earning a cap.
