NEW ORLEANS — Former U.S. soccer star Lauren Holiday has been diagnosed with a brain tumor while pregnant, and her husband, New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday, is taking indefinite leave from the NBA club to care for his wife.

“We are all praying for a healthy delivery of their first child and a successful surgery for Lauren,” Pelicans General Manager Dell Demps said in a prepared statement provided Sunday by the club. “Furthermore, we ask everyone to respect the Holidays’ privacy at this time.”

Jrue Holiday said Lauren was diagnosed with an operable tumor on the right side of her brain.

Lauren Holiday, who retired from soccer last year, was among the world’s most respected players in the women’s game during a career highlighted by Olympic gold medals with the U.S. national team in 2008 and 2012, and FIFA World Cup title in 2015.

The midfielder played in 133 games for the U.S. team, scoring 24 goals. She also played professionally in the NWSL, winning a championship with FC Kansas City in 2015.

Lauren Holiday met Jrue at UCLA, where she played soccer and he played basketball.


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