CENTENNIAL — It has only taken three days of practice for Lindsey Heaps to make an impact on Denver Summit FC.

The U.S. Women’s National Team captain officially joined the Summit this week and has dived right into her role as team captain as Denver bounces back from a 3-0 loss to Kansas City. 

She calls herself a winner, and her mentality has already raised the team’s standard. 

“I’ve had the chance to work with some world-class players in a previous role, and the last three days have confirmed that the best talent in the world is special and Lindsey is definitely special,” coach Nick Cushing said. “It changes the mentality of the group.”

Coming off her fourth season with France’s OL Lyonnes, Heaps was officially introduced Wednesday at the Summit’s CommonSpirit Performance Center. The Golden native will not play in Sunday’s match against the Houston Dash and will debut July 18 against the Portland Thorns at the opening of Centennial Stadium. 

For Heaps, driving to work every morning in her home state is still “surreal.” It started to hit her at Denver’s July 3 home game, where she could see several “Heaps” jerseys from her seat in the stands. She expects tears to flow July 18 when she steps onto the pitch with her parents in the stands. 

“It’s such a grateful feeling,” Heaps said. “I’m so happy to be here. I get to drive to an incredible performance center … you can’t be mad about coming to work here. Working with this staff and group has been amazing.”

Previous to her stint with OL Lyonnes, Heaps spent six seasons in the National Women’s Soccer League with the Portland Thorns, where she was part of the 2017 NWSL championship team and earned NWSL MVP honors in 2018.

The 32-year-old has signed a four-year deal with Denver through 2029. 

Acquiring Heaps for her hometown team was a yearlong process. General manager Curt Johnson didn’t know if it would work out, but said Heap’s excitement about the “project” and being a leader for the expansion team were what drove it forward.

“From a player standpoint, the characteristics we are looking at are NWSL experience, world-class talent … and builders of the game,” Johnson said. “This is a project for an expansion team, and wrapping your arms around that is important. That leads you straight to Lindsey.”

Although it was a dream to play in her home state, Heaps wanted it to be the right fit. The commitment and investment by the ownership group, including the performance center, proved to Heaps that it was. 

“Seeing and hearing everything they’ve done, this is the place I want to be,” Heaps said. “I’m older but can still grow as a player and leader. Bringing in a coach like Nick (Cushing), who can help me grow, is where I want to be. It wasn’t a question when I saw everything they were doing.”

While defender Janine Sonis, who is good friends with Heaps, will no longer don the armband, Heaps says their partnership as captain and vice captain will help the team succeed. 

“I’m so proud of Janine because she stepped into a role that is very difficult, and she did so well,” Heaps said. “We’ve kept in contact for the past few months. Even in the last few days, it’s nonstop; we are talking and working through this. It’s a partnership to help this team succeed. I need her just as much as she needs me.”

Although the 2019 World Cup champion is still integrating with the team, Heaps understands her responsibility as captain for the expansion team. She sees raising the team’s standards as her job and has set high expectations for herself. 

She wishes she could play Sunday, but is putting the team first – a true characteristic of a winner. 

“I want to raise the standard every day, and I know the staff expects that of me no matter what,” Heaps said. “I will do everything possible to get the team ready for Sunday, and then you can expect the very best Lindsey.”