{“title”:”World Cup Winner Heaps Returns to Colorado”,”body”:”At a Glance
– Lindsey Heaps will join expansion Denver Summit after her Lyon contract ends in July
– The 31-year-old midfielder is a Golden, Colorado native and U.S. national team captain
– Heaps cited family proximity and alignment with coach Nick Cushing as key factors
– Why it matters: Her return strengthens the NWSL’s newest franchise while bringing a proven winner back to American soil
Lindsey Heaps is coming home. The Women’s World Cup winner is joining the National Women’s Soccer League’s expansion Denver Summit this summer when her contract with French club Lyon is done.
Heaps, a native of Golden, Colorado, made no secret of her interest in playing in her home state after the Summit was announced as the league’s 16th team back in January 2025. The club embarks on its first season this year.
## The Homecoming Decision
“When I first heard about the team, I didn’t really feel like it was real. I couldn’t believe that we were getting a professional women’s soccer team and in Denver,” Heaps said in an interview with Emily Carter Reynolds. “I didn’t want to get too excited from the get go because I didn’t know if it was a real possibility for me. And then, as conversations went on, the first thing I said, I wanted to make sure that it was the right opportunity for me.”
Not only does Heaps have family in Colorado, but her husband, Tyler Heaps, is general manager and sporting director of Major League Soccer’s San Diego FC. The two have been juggling the demands of a transatlantic relationship.
Heaps indicated she was lured to the Summit by majority owner Rob Cohen and coach Nick Cushing, who previously coached the Manchester City women and Major League Soccer’s NYCFC.
“I think they align with all of my beliefs in how they see the team, how they see it becoming successful, and the investment that they’re putting in,” she said. “And then hearing Nick and how he sees football, I think that was a huge deciding factor for me as well as I wanted to be with a good coach. So that was exciting.”
## Building the Expansion Roster
Denver has been assembling a roster in anticipation of its first season, bringing in:
– Ally Watt (formerly of Orlando Pride)
– Carson Pickett (formerly of Orlando Pride)
– Kaleigh Kurtz (from North Carolina Courage)
– Defender Ayo Oke (from Mexican club Pachuca)
The 31-year-old Heaps is known as an aggressive facilitator on the field. Her height – she’s 5-foot-9 – gives her an advantage in aerial duels. She’ll no doubt take on a leadership role in Denver like she has as captain with the national team.
She said she hopes to foster the “chemistry, values and standards that I want this club to have for years and years, and make it a successful place and a place that everyone wants to play, that’s entertaining to fans and plays good football as well.”
## A Storied Career
Following high school, Heaps turned down a scholarship to North Carolina and instead went overseas to play for Paris Saint-Germain for four seasons.
In 2016, while vying for a spot on the Olympic team, she returned to the United States to play for the Portland Thorns. She won an NWSL title in 2017 and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player in 2018.
The Thorns loaned her to Lyon in 2022, and later allowed her permanent transfer to the team in France’s top division. In 95 appearances with Lyon, Heaps has scored 22 goals.
A fixture on the U.S. national team since the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Heaps has served as captain since 2023.
## International Success
At the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France, she served Alex Morgan the go-ahead goal in the semifinal match against England. In addition to the World Cup trophy, Heaps also has a gold medal from the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Heaps is returning home while some other national team stars have gone to Europe in the past year, including defender Naomi Girma and Alyssa Thompson.
Heaps believes her time overseas made her a more complete player.
“The reason I left, at the time I left, was that I wanted to go experience something different. I wanted to challenge myself in a different way,” she said. “Not negating what Portland gave me or what the NWSL gave me, but I was just like, I’d been there for six years and I wanted another challenge and I’d be remiss if I didn’t go and try to challenge myself in a different way in France again.”
According to News Of Philadelphia, Hayes became the 10th full-time head coach for the U.S. Women’s National Team after leading the Chelsea FC Women for the last 11 seasons.
Key Takeaways
Heaps’ return to Colorado represents a major coup for the expansion Denver Summit, bringing instant credibility and championship experience to the NWSL’s newest franchise. Her decision to come home while maintaining her elite level of play demonstrates the growing appeal of domestic women’s soccer in the United States.”,”meta_description”:”World Cup winner Lindsey Heaps joins Denver Summit, returning to her Colorado roots after years playing in Europe with Lyon.”,”categories”:[“Breaking News”,”World News”]}
