Lindsey Heaps is back in Colorado. The USWNT captain received her No. 10 NWSL Denver Summit jersey last week and is now training with the expansion club ahead of her mid-July debut.
Inside the Lindsey Heaps Denver Summit FC Transfer
Heaps, a Golden, Colorado native, signed a long-term deal through the 2029 season after leaving OL Lyonnes.
"I'm so happy," Heaps said of the move. "I get to drive here to an incredible performance center and facility where it's like, you cannot be mad about coming to work. Getting on the field and being with the staff and this group, it's been amazing."
Still, per the Denver Summit schedule, she won't be eligible to play until the July 18th home opener at Centennial Stadium. That match against Portland Thorns FC, and fellow Colorado native Sophia Wilson, is already shaping up as one of the biggest in state soccer history.
Denver Summit FC's NWSL Schedule and Ranking
Until then, Denver Summit FC will lean on the core that earned a 2-2 draw against the Houston Dash on July 12, with Janine Sonis and Yazmeen Ryan finding the net. The expansion side sits in 11th place with 16 points, so head coach Nick Cushing could use Heaps's veteran presence sooner rather than later.
Heaps brings a 2019 World Cup title and 2024 Olympic gold medal to Colorado. Her arrival gives the club a proven winner and a real shot at the playoff race.
The NWSL is back in action, as No. 1 San Diego looks to defend its grip on the NWSL standings against 2026 addition Denver on Saturday.
The Wave is currently two points clear of the competition on a 4-0-1 record, bolstered by rookie Lia Godfrey’s promising attack.
“She has had a really good start to life as a pro, and transitioning from a college player to being a professional player,” said San Diego manager Jonas Eidevall. “It comes from her having such a good preseason.”
The Wave now visits Centennial Stadium for the first time in this weekend’s NWSL slate. The No. 9 Summit is coming off a record-breaking home debut — despite going scoreless in its last two games on a 1-1-3 record.
Blockbuster San Diego signing Catarina Macario could see her first-ever NWSL minutes this weekend, while Denver will have to wait a few more weeks before welcoming its headliner, US and Lyon star Lindsey Heaps.
“It’s been cool to see what they’ve been able to accomplish as an expansion team and coming into the league,” Heaps told the Denver Post ahead of last Saturday’s USWNT friendly in Colorado.
How to Watch San Diego Wave vs Denver Summit in NWSL Action
San Diego kicks off agains Denver on Saturday at 8:45 PM ET, live on ION.
The Denver Summit is eyeing the future, acquiring land at Santa Fe Yards for a new NWSL stadium in the Mile High City.
Summit controlling owner Rob Cohen called the move a milestone for the club and city.
“This is a defining moment for Denver Summit FC and for the future of women’s professional sports in our city,” Cohen said.
“We are incredibly grateful to Mayor Mike Johnston, Denver City Council, and the broader Denver community for helping turn this vision into a reality.”
Located near Interstate 25, the 2026 expansion side’s purpose-built venue is part of a broader redevelopment project. Additional entertainment venues will subsequently surround the roughly 14,500-seat stadium.
“This will be the largest overall investment in a women’s professional sports team in history,” Cohen said in an earlier team release. “[It will] provide us a distinct home-field advantage and will serve as the most inclusive environment in all of Colorado.”
The blueprints incorporate the ability to expand beyond the stadium’s initial 14,500 seats. The team has additionally voiced interest in eventually extending the capacity closer to 20,000.
The move comes after Denver set an NWSL attendance record, drawing 63,004 fans to its Mile High Stadium home opener.
The Summit joined the US soccer league as its 16th franchise earlier this month. The team currently sits eighth in the NWSL standings, carrying a 1-1-2 early season record.
While construction timelines remain in progress, the club will use temporary venues before transitioning to a permanent home. Development is expected to unfold over the next few years, with the club targeting a 2028 opening.
The Summit reached new heights on Saturday, when the 2026 expansion team shattered the NWSL single-game attendance record with 63,004 fans turning out to watch Denver take on the Washington Spirit in their first-ever home match.
The Mile High Stadium crowd topped the league's previous 40,091-fan high-mark set by Bay FC last season, while also smashing Seattle's doubleheader attendance record of 42,054 fans from 2023.
"I will never forget walking out of that tunnel today and hearing the crowd screaming for us," said Denver captain Janine Solis, with the Summit already keeping pace above the playoff line.
The big day yielded few fireworks, however, as Saturday's 0-0 finish gave each team a point but extended the Spirit's 2026 winless streak.
After dropping their season opener to the Portland Thorns, the 2025 NWSL runners-up have logged three consecutive draws, with Washington now sitting in 12th place on the league table.
"We've been moving in the right direction," Spirit midfielder Hal Hershfelt said. "It's just going to take time to build that chemistry."
"We're not going to get obsessed with one result," said Washington manager Adrián González. "We know we want to get better every week, and this is what we are doing."
How to watch the Denver Summit, Washington Spirit this weekend
Both Denver and Washington will hit the road for the West Coast this weekend, starting with the Summit visiting the Seattle Reign at 8:45 PM ET on Saturday, airing live on ION.
Then at 5 PM ET on Sunday, the Spirit will take on Bay FC to close out NWSL play prior to the April international window, with live coverage airing on ESPN2.
One of the newest NWSL teams got on the board on Wednesday, when the Denver Summit stunned reigning league champion Gotham FC 2-0 to claim the 2026 expansion club's first-ever victory.
Denver forward Melissa Kössler opened the scoring with her third goal in as many games in the 58th minute, before fellow attacker Natasha Flint sealed the deal with a 73rd-minute strike.
"We know there's going to be difficult moments, we know there's going to be enjoyable moments — we just want to increase them," said Summit manager Nick Cushing afterwards. "And tonight, it's definitely one of those."
Kössler joins Orlando Pride star Barbra Banda as the only NWSL players to score in every match so far this season, leaving Gotham to rue its missed chances.
"This team is full of winners at every level, and we're disappointed to be starting the season this way," said Bats defender Jess Carter. "We expect higher standards from ourselves."
"We know how the NWSL is — often the team that scores first gets the result. When we've done that, we've won," said Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós. "In the last two games, we haven't been able to do it."
How to watch the Denver Summit this weekend
With little time to rest on their laurels, the Summit are gearing up for what will likely be an NWSL attendance record-shattering home debut, with Denver hosting the Washington Spirit at the NFL's Mile High Stadium on Saturday.
The historic match will kick off live at 2 PM ET on CBS.
The Denver Summit are hunting a win, with the 2026 NWSL expansion team shooting for a franchise-first victory against reigning champion Gotham FC on Wednesday night.
The Summit tallied a 2-1 loss to Bay FC and a 1-1 draw with the Orlando Pride to open their inaugural season, managing to avoid shutouts behind a pair of goals from German international Melissa Kössler.
However, Denver was dealt a blow when promising rookie Jasmine Aikey suffered a season-ending ACL tear in her right knee this week.
"We are all thinking of Jasmine and will be with her every step of the way throughout this recovery," said Summit head coach Nick Cushing. "She means so much to this team both on and off the field."
Denver will likely shift focus to new signings Yazmeen Ryan and Delanie Sheehan, with Ryan getting her first start for the Summit last Friday.
As for the match hosts, Gotham will miss star midfielder Jaedyn Shaw (hamstring) on Wednesday, but the Bats can take solace in USWNT star Tierna Davidson's long-awaited return from injury.
"They are building a new team, and they've done a good job so far," Gotham manager Juan Carlos Amorós said about the Summit. "It's going to be an interesting game."
How to watch Gotham FC vs. Denver Summit FC
The Summit will visit Gotham at 7 PM ET on Wednesday, airing live on Victory+.
NWSL newcomer Denver Summit FC is quickly building steam, making three aggressive signings this week that point to the first-year club's immediate postseason ambitions.
First on Wednesday, the 2026 expansion team added 23-year-old attacker Yuzuki Yamamoto to its roster, signing the WE MVP away from reigning league champion Tokyo Verdy Beleza on a two-year contract — with a mutual option for the 2028 NWSL season.
The Japan international will join the Summit following the 2026 AFC Asian Cup, with her team taking on Australia in Saturday's confederation championship match.
Swelling the Summit's ranks with even more firepower, Denver anteed up a reported $800,000 in total transfer fees plus $200,000 in allocation funds to bring on Houston Dash duo Delanie Sheehan and Yazmeen Ryan on Thursday.
Midfielder Sheehan and forward Ryan have been linking up since 2023 when the pair helped Gotham FC to a franchise-first NWSL championship, with the attackers later joining the Dash in back-to-back trades in December 2024.
"We are thrilled to add both Yazmeen and Delanie to our group," said Denver Summit FC GM Curt Johnson in the club's Thursday announcement. "Both players have won trophies and had tremendous NWSL careers. They will immediately help us both on and off the field."
How to watch the Denver Summit this week
After falling to Bay FC 2-1 in last weekend's inaugural match, the Summit — with new talent in tow — will hunt a franchise-first win when they take on the Orlando Pride on Friday night.
The match will kick off live at 8 PM ET on Victory+.
The Boston Legacy and Denver Summit entered the NWSL with a bang, as the league's newest teams opened their 2026 campaigns with red cards in twin Saturday losses.
Both Boston defender Bianca St-Georges and Denver full-back Janine Sonis left their clubs shorthanded in their franchise debuts by earning the young NWSL season's first two red cards.
The results reflected the clubs' on-pitch frustrations, as the Legacy fell 1-0 to reigning champion Gotham FC before the Summit lost 2-1 to Bay FC.
It wasn't all disappointment, however, as Boston set a new inaugural home opener attendance record when more than 30,200 fans packed into Gillette Stadium.
"This environment — to the players, to women's football — I think contributes a lot to the game," said Boston head coach Filipa Patão. "We need to continue to do that."
That said, the Legacy's new record is likely to fall later this month, as Denver looks to break the NWSL's overall attendance mark after selling more than 50,000 tickets to the Summit's March 28th home opener at Mile High Stadium.
How to watch the Denver Summit and Boston Legacy next weekend
The newcomers will have another crack at it next weekend, starting when Denver visits the Orlando Pride at 8 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage on Victory+.
Then on Saturday, Boston will face the Houston Dash at 4 PM ET, airing live on ION.
The season-opening NWSL lineup is bringing fireworks to the pitch on Saturday, as 2026 newcomer Denver Summit FC looks to lay a foundation in their inaugural match against 2024 expansion team Bay FC.
Led by former Manchester City manager Nick Cushing, the Summit gets its first taste of NWSL action in California before heading home to set an expected new single-game attendance record at Mile High Stadium.
"Our expectation is to win a championship," Summit defender and Colorado product Janine Sonis told the Denver Gazette. "We want to win, and we want to win doing what we do well."
Notably, Denver will hit the pitch without its flashiest signing, with USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps remaining with OL Lyonnes until the French club wraps its 2025/26 season, joining the Summit for the second half of the 2026 NWSL campaign.
One splashy midfield addition should make an appearance in Saturday's match, however, after Bay FC brought in former KC Current star Claire Hutton to shore up the 2025 Shield-winner's ranks last month.
"A big piece of me coming onto the team is seeing what they need from me and seeing what else I can bring," Hutton told the Times Union. "Each player has a specific role and identity on the team."
How to watch Bay FC vs. Denver Summit on Saturday
Bay FC will host 2026 expansion side Denver in the Summit's NWSL debut at 6:30 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage airing on ION.
The NWSL is gearing up for the 2026 season, with all 16 clubs releasing their jersey designs on Thursday morning — with a few teams going the extra mile.
Each team dropped at least one new look, while select clubs added a third kit to their arsenal for the first time.
Incoming expansion teams Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC already introduced original home and away jerseys, providing a sneak peek to fans earlier this month, with the 14 veteran clubs revealing their kits on Thursday.
Every new NWSL jersey tells a story, while a few dynamic concepts lean into bold colors and local details.
The Washington Spirit are debuting their first-ever cherry blossom kit, the Wave's latest addition reflects San Diego's 1,200-acre Balboa Park, and the Pride's Unity Kit symbolizes "the strength, resilience, and unity of the City of Orlando" 10 years after the Pulse Nightclub tragedy.
Other kits embrace regional lore, like Racing's disco ball design — a nod to Louisville's history as the world's leading disco ball producer — with the North Carolina Courage paying homage to the state's official carnivorous plant, the Venus fly trap, while Gotham FC's first-ever third kit is a 3D take on Lady Liberty.
How to purchase the new 2026 NWSL jerseys
The 2026 NWSL kits — including goalkeeper jerseys, customizable jerseys, and pre-match tops — are currently available for purchase in unisex, women's, and youth cuts at the NWSL Shop.