A key player in UEFA Women’s Champions League and the U.S. women’s national team captain makes a triumphant return home. Denver Summit FC has announced they have signed Colorado native Lindsey Heaps as of Monday. The midfielder will officially join Summit FC after the conclusion of her 2025-26 campaign with OL Lyonnes.
With an impressive record, Heaps boasts 170 appearances with the USWNT. She is a distinguished 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, a 2024 Olympic gold medalist, and a bronze medalist from the 2020 Olympics. Her contribution to the national team’s success includes multiple Concacaf trophies, and she won the U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year in 2021. In 2024, she was recognized in the Best FIFA Women’s XI.
“I’m incredibly excited to come home to Colorado and join Denver Summit FC,” Heaps stated. “This club represents something special—not only for the league but for this community and for the next generation of players growing up here. I’m fully committed to finishing the season strong with Lyon, and I can’t wait to begin this next chapter in Denver this summer.”
A double homecoming
Heaps, who hails from Golden, Colorado, will experience a unique double homecoming this summer—first as a product of Colorado’s youth system and also as a return to the NWSL.
“Signing Lindsey Heaps marks a pivotal moment for Denver Summit FC,” noted General Manager Curt Johnson. “She exemplifies the highest level of excellence as a player, leader, and professional. Welcoming her back to Colorado and having her help shape the identity of this club is incredibly important.”
At just 31 years old, Heaps became a headline-maker during her teenage years when she opted to turn professional instead of accepting a scholarship to the University of North Carolina. Her pro career began with Paris Saint-Germain in 2012. After four successful years in France, she joined Portland Thorns FC in 2016, gathering numerous accolades—including the NWSL Shield (2016, 2021), NWSL Championship (2017), NWSL Challenge Cup (2021), and NWSL MVP (2018)—before moving to OL Lyonnes in 2022.
“Lindsey will bring an elite level to our team and embodies the ambition of our club, both on and off the field,” said Summit FC Head Coach Nick Cushing. “She has achieved success at every level of the game. Her talent, leadership, and professionalism will elevate the standards at Summit FC when she arrives this summer. We are excited to welcome a hometown player back to Denver as we strive for championships and to grow our club and community.”
Is Lindsey Heaps the first high-impact player signing?
Recently, the league’s board of governors introduced a new mechanism designed to sign and pay players without affecting the salary cap, known as the High-Impact Player rule. This comes in light of the ongoing contract saga between U.S. women’s national team winger Trinity Rodman and the NWSL.
The new guidelines let teams invest an additional $1 million in players who meet specific “star” criteria. With the global transfer market being competitive, the challenge to offer appealing salaries for women’s leagues continues, but the NWSL has witnessed an uptick in players heading to overseas teams.
NWSL clubs can now exceed the salary cap by $1 million and use these funds towards one or multiple player contracts. This cap will increase annually along with the current salary cap, which sits at $3.5 million and is slated to reach $5.1 million by 2030.
The HIP rule will be active from July 1, allowing teams to immediately utilize the mechanism for signing high-profile athletes, provided contract structures align with the new policy timeline. While no team has used this rule yet, including Denver, it may soon change, according to General Manager Curt Johnson.
“Our pursuit of Lindsey predated the HIP rule,” Johnson stated. “We intended to sign Lindsey before the rule came into play. We’ll collaborate with the league to leverage this mechanism effectively for our salary cap and roster construction.”
Though Denver’s roster is still expanding and far from the 40-player preseason deadline on Wednesday, Heaps is expected to join the team this summer. The club continues to explore opportunities to attract players ahead of their inaugural season.
“As for players categorized under HIP, the salary cap charge remains on the cap, with an additional funding pool outside the cap,” Johnson explained. “We assume this will fall under HIP, and we are eager to find our next fitting player.”
When will Lindsey Heaps debut for Denver?
Heaps will join Summit FC after wrapping up her season with OL Lyonnes. The new franchise anticipates her arrival by June. She is presently competing with the French side in domestic matches as well as in the 2025-26 UEFA Women’s Champions League.
During her time with OL Lyonnes, Heaps has secured multiple trophies, including three Division 1 Féminine titles, a UWCL title, and the Coupe de France Féminine. Her signing represents a significant boost to Denver’s roster as they build towards their future.
While the club expects her to arrive in June, the timing of her debut for Summit FC is less certain. The league has already confirmed a summer break from June 1 to June 28, coinciding with the men’s 2026 FIFA World Cup. Regular season games are likely to resume during the first weekend of July.
When will Denver Summit play its first home game?
The complete NWSL schedule is forthcoming, though the league has released key dates.
As NWSL’s 16th franchise, the Denver Summit will kick off its first game on Saturday, March 28. The kickoff will take place at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver. This inaugural match is set to be broadcasted on CBS, with the opponent details to be disclosed with the official season schedule announcement.
What’s next
The club is actively refining its roster as the 2026 NWSL regular season draws near. Even though Lindsey Heaps won’t make an immediate impact until the latter half of the year, several experienced players are already part of Denver’s inaugural lineup. The club has also signed free agents Ally Watt and Kaleigh Kurtz, and recently added Canadian international Janine Sonis.
