Lindsey Heaps Returns to Colorado as USWNT Arrives for Final April Friendly
The lindsey heaps storyline is front and center in Colorado this week as the U. S. Women’s National Team prepares for its third and final April friendly against Japan on Friday. Heaps is back in her home state while finishing out her contract with OL Lyonnes before joining the Denver Summit this summer. For Colorado fans, her return carries added weight because it is her first chance to greet them since announcing she will play for her hometown club.
Emma Hayes raises the bar for Lindsey Heaps
USWNT head coach Emma Hayes made clear that the lindsey heaps return is about more than a homecoming. She said bringing back the USWNT captain to the NWSL is “a win for the NWSL, ” and described the 31-year-old as a player who will lift standards inside the locker room.
“I think she will bring a level of professionalism with years of being a top pro, ” Hayes said. “Lindsey’s no passenger ever; she’s so ultra competitive, she will want to drive that team as a leader in the way that she does every day. ” Hayes added that she and Heaps have already sat down in 360 meetings this week to talk through how to prepare for the next stage.
Hayes also said Heaps’ return home matters on a personal level because she is looking forward to seeing her play in front of her parents again. The coach said the move will “lift the league and the sport up in this country by returning home. ”
The USWNT camp in Colorado is tied closely to Denver Summit FC
The connection between the national team and Denver Summit FC is visible across the pitch. The club is in its international break, while the USWNT is in town, creating a natural spotlight on Heaps as the bridge between both sides.
Heaps is the obvious link: USWNT captain, Colorado native, and future member of Denver Summit FC. This week’s club coverage is set to hear directly from her about the return to Denver, while also exploring the coaching ties between Denver Summit head coach Nick Cushing and Hayes.
Cushing and Hayes have faced each other in England’s WSL for several years, with Cushing at Manchester City and Hayes at Chelsea. The club also highlighted Natasha “Tash” Flint, a Manchester-area native and former Cushing protégé at City, as another connection point in Denver.
What Lindsey Heaps is walking into next
The immediate focus remains on the USWNT’s series against Japan. The Americans opened with a 2-1 win in San Jose last Saturday, with goals from Heaps and Rose Lavelle, before a 1-0 loss in Seattle on Tuesday. Heaps entered that match as a substitute in the 71st minute but could not help erase Maika Hamano’s first-half goal.
For now, the lindsey heaps return is unfolding in two directions at once: a national team job still in motion and a club move that will soon bring her to Denver for good. Hayes has already framed that step as a challenge worth embracing, and Colorado fans will be watching closely as Heaps closes out her Europe stint and prepares to start the next chapter close to home.
