Summit FC signs USWNT star Lindsey Heaps

• Heaps, who changed her last name from Horan last season after getting married, attended nearby Golden High School before embarking on one of the most decorated careers in women's soccer.

Why it matters: Her signing gives Denver Summit FC an instant star, a marketable midfielder who will draw fans familiar with her stellar career.

State of play: Heaps won a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics alongside fellow Coloradans Mallory Swanson and Sophia Wilson, and was crowned world champion during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.

• Heaps has scored 38 goals for the women's team and 37 assists in 170 appearances for the women's team — more than any other active player.

What she's saying: "I'm incredibly excited to come home to Colorado and join Denver Summit FC," Heaps said in a statement. "This club represents something special, not just for the league, but for this community and for the next generation of players growing up here."

What's next: The 31-year-old is expected to arrive in Denver in June after her season with her current club, OL Lyonnes in France, ends.

• Denver Summit FC plays its inaugural home game March 28.

Go deeper: Denver gets in the game as women's pro sports surge nationwide