The Denver Summit open their inaugural NWSL season with a challenging first half of the schedule. In this episode of The 5280 Pitch, we break down every match in the opening stretch — key opponents, player matchups to watch, and how home games at altitude differ from life on the road for an expansion team.

The last few weeks around Denver Summit FC have been a lot. Signings came fast, the NWSL schedule dropped, and then the stadium news hit. This episode is me stepping back to talk through where the Summit actually are right now — what this expansion roster is telling us, why the Lindsey Heaps signing matters, and how Denver is preparing for its first NWSL season.

Lindsey Heaps is coming home — not as a symbol, but as a foundation piece. In this episode of The 5280 Pitch, we break down why the Golden, Colorado native and U.S. Women’s National Team captain is such a rare signing for an expansion club.

From her development with Colorado Rush to Olympic gold, 150+ international caps, and a career built on reliability and control, this isn’t a story about hype — it’s about structure. What does Lindsey Heaps actually bring on the field? Why does midfield control matter so much for a new team? And why does this signing change how Denver Summit FC gets built from day one?