Lindsey Heaps is coming home to Colorado. The expansion Denver Summit announced that the USWNT captain would join the team as soon as her season with Lyon is over.
Continue reading with a subscription to The IX
Get unlimited access to our exclusive coverage of a varitety of women’s sports, including our premium newsletter by subscribing today!
Already a member?
Login
The move is not entirely unexpected. When Denver was announced as the NWSL’s 16th team, Heaps was unabashedly excited about the prospect of someday playing for the team. Her wish came true sooner rather than later.
The move brings Heaps closer to family and her husband Tyler Heaps, who is GM and sporting director for San Diego FC.
I was able to speak to Heaps before the official announcement this morning. Here’s some of what she said:
Annie: Welcome back to the NWSL. Why now? Why Denver?
Heaps: “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. 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 I was the right opportunity for me.”
Listen now to The IX Sports Podcast & Women’s Sports Daily
We are excited to announce the launch of TWO new podcasts for all the women’s sports fans out there looking for a daily dose of women’s sports news and analysis.
Stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere you listen to your podcasts and make sure to subscribe!
“The more I spoke to Rob (Summit majority owner Rob Cohen), the more I spoke with the ownership group. And then speaking with Nick (Coach Nick Cushing), I thought to myself, this is honestly perfect. I think they align with all of my beliefs and how they see the team, how they see it becoming successful, and the investment that they’re putting in. And then hearing Nick and, 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.”
“It’s obviously a little bit weird because I’m, I’m finishing up my season here, so I can’t get too excited yet. I think that time will come. But it made it more real. And then, thinking about the whole family side coming home, everything that obviously that, filled in, and I just, I felt like it was right.”
Annie: What did you take away from playing in France?
Heaps: Obviously I get the the opportunity to play for the national team with the best players in the U.S. and I’ve been playing in the NWSL with such top players, but going overseas and getting challenged in a different way is also a really great experience. And I think you learn different tendencies, you learn different ways of playing, you learn different ways of living. You have to be more independent. I really like a challenge. That’s how I’ve always been. So I think I take away a lot from that.
“Even this year with Jona (Lyon coach Jonatan Giráldez), I personally have learned so much with him. It’s the one very hard thing about leaving here because I think he’s probably one of the best coaches I’ve ever had. So I think that’s something that I really take to heart, with my experience over here, is I’ve gotten to one meet so many players, play with so many players, experience different coaches, different environments, different cultures.”
Annie: How do you see yourself assimilating with Denver midway through the season?
Heaps: “First and foremost, I’m really grateful that Denver has been very respectful of my time here and knew that I would want to finish out my season. And I made that very direct at the get go, as I do want to fulfill my contract hereand finish out the season and win as many titles and help my team here. That’s the type of player and person I am. And and hopefully they know that the second that I step foot in and Denver and I’m, you know, in the training ground and playing my first game like that will be my mission in Denver.”
I asked Heaps about the NWSL’s salary cap, and how she sees its impact on the league. She said she went overseas for the experience and thinks that some players may still decide that’s important, regardless of compensation. She also said that European players are coming here for the experience, too.
Heaps: “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. 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.”
“I think a lot of these players, a lot of these young players, and, and even older players that are going experiencing this, that’s what they wanted to do. So I think that’s a crucial thing to think about. I’m really proud of that. But I’ve said this as well, I’ve seen a lot of European players now go and play in the NWSL and I think that’s a huge, huge thing.”
Order “Rare Gems” and save 30%
Howard Megdal, founder and editor of The IX, wrote this deeply reported story following four connected generations of women’s basketball pioneers, from Elvera “Peps” Neuman to Cheryl Reeve and from Lindsay Whalen to Sylvia Fowles and Paige Bueckers.
If you enjoy his coverage of women’s basketball every Wednesday, you will love “Rare Gems: How Four Generations of Women Paved the Way for the WNBA.” Click the link below and enter MEGDAL30 at checkout.
LINKS
Emma Hayes named her roster for the USWNT’s annual January camp and a pair of upcoming friendlies against Paraguay and Chile. Trinity Rodman is on the roster as unaffiliated.
All for XI looked at the top 5 takeaways from her conference call announcing the roster.
The NWSLPA objects to the High Impact Player rule over “roster classification,” from The Athletic.
Hayes said she wasn’t consulted about the new rule, which uses national team play as one criteria.
The BBC’s primer on the WSL after the winter break
Jenna Nighswonger joins Aston Villa on loan from Arsenal
Chicago Stars are building their own training facility
Kansas City hires Chris Armas as coach
China preps for the Asian Cup.
Sky Sports with a story on Chelsea’s Sandy Baltimore
Interesting story in the Wall Street Journal about North Korea women’s soccer
Jonathan Tannenwald spoke to Lindsey Heaps before she announced her move.
| Mondays: Soccer |
| By: Annie Peterson, @AnnieMPeterson, AP Women’s Soccer |
| Tuesdays: Tennis |
| By: Joey Dillon, @JoeyDillon, Freelance Tennis Writer |
| Wednesdays: Basketball |
| By: Howard Megdal, @HowardMegdal, The IX Sports |
| Thursdays: Golf |
| By: Marin Dremock, @MDremock, The IX Sports |
| Fridays: Hockey |
| By: @TheIceGarden, The Ice Garden |
| Saturdays: Gymnastics |
| By: Jessica Taylor Price, @jesstaylorprice, Freelance Writer |
