Denver Summit vs. Portland Thorns live stream: Where to watch the Heaps in the NWSL

The NWSL marked its return from the World Cup break two weeks ago, but headlines continue to loom large over the league as the summer progresses. The 2026 regular season already brought a record-breaking game to New York City, and now the league will welcome one of its biggest stars to its new club, Denver Summit.

US women’s national team captain Lindsey Heaps has been officially listed with Denver and is available for this weekend’s match against third-place team Portland Thorns FC. Heaps’ contract was announced back in January, but he was still under contract with OL Lyonnes. Now, after months of waiting, Summit fans could see his suit for the first time on Saturday (1pm ET, CBS).

The game is part of a CBS NWSL doubleheader. After Denver and Portland are gone, fans can stay tuned to Bay FC and the North Carolina Courage.

Lindsey Heaps is back in the NWSL

Colorado native Lindsey Heaps is about to suit up for her hometown club. From Golden, Colorado, Heaps played youth soccer with the Colorado Rush, based in the Denver area, before leaving the country to join Paris Saint-Germain in 2012 at the age of 18. He returned to the United States to play for the Portland Thorns in 2016.

“I am very excited to return home to Colorado and join Denver Summit FC,” Heaps said in January. “This club represents something special, not just for the league, but for this community and the next generation of players growing up here … I can’t wait to start this next chapter in Denver this summer.”

Now to come home twice. Back to Colorado and the NWSL. After five seasons in France, where she won 10 trophies, including the 2022 UEFA Women’s Champions League, Heaps is back in the NWSL and will now face her former club. He was previously with the Portland Thorns for six seasons and scored 31 goals in 105 appearances.

He won the NWSL MVP in 2018 and helped lead the Thorns to the 2017 NWSL Championship and two NWSL Shields in 2016 and 2021. The team announced Thursday that Heaps is on the active roster and eligible to play starting this weekend.

“We are very excited to officially welcome Lindsey home to Colorado,” said Denver Summit FC head coach Nick Cushing. “Lindsey’s return to the NWSL is an exciting time for our club, our fans, and the Colorado soccer community at large. Lindsey’s world-class talent and leadership will make an immediate impact both on the field and in our locker room, and we can’t wait to see her don the crest and take the field for the first time.”

His arrival may come at a crucial time for Denver, who are on a two-game winless streak after returning from the World Cup break.

Denver’s cobblestone streets

The team’s first season has already brought unforgettable moments for the team and the fans. Denver Summit produced a record-breaking home opener, drawing 63,004 fans to Empower Field at Mile High. The record surpassed the NWSL attendance record by more than 20,000 and currently stands as the largest, aside from other record crowds for special events at MLB stadiums, including Wrigley Field, Oracle Park, and, most recently, Citi Field.

But if the Conference wants to continue making history, they will have to raise their level of play in the second half of the season. The team will officially enter the second half of the program in just two games. With 13 games left, they are in tenth place, in the 16-team league, just four points from the playoffs.

At the start of the season, Denver gained early momentum with draws and wins against title winners and playoff contenders, although when it came to facing teams in the bottom half of the table next to them, Denver struggled. It’s part of what makes the NWSL such a dominant league, but it also raises questions about the Conference’s ability to continue competing in the postseason.

Summit lost 3-0 to the sixth-ranked Kansas City Current in its first game back from the break, followed by a 2-2 draw against the 13th-ranked Houston Dash.

“I think we don’t win the game from time to time. As we know, [Houston] they were going to try to play in transition, try to beat us on offense, and that’s the type of team they are. And I think, the first vaccine is very cheap. Second goal too. Their times are all from cheap times. And Kansas, it’s not. Looking at Kansas. “We didn’t deserve to win the Kansas game, but we gave them some chances and some goals,” said Cushing.

“I say to the team every day, it has to be difficult. This is the highest level of the game. This is professional football. You can change countries. You can go to Germany, or France, or England. That’s just your opinion that that league could be better. But this is the highest level. It’s meant to be difficult. So you have to be on your game every week because if you throw the ball down, the ball goes out, the ball goes out, the ball goes out. times,” he said.

Arriving at the top of the mountain

While no one in the locker room is hitting the panic button, there is an understandable sense of urgency and belief in Denver and their second half of the season. The team bought the coaching staff and tactical systems early and it was profitable in no time.

Cushing is sticking to his process for now, though he isn’t averse to changing things up if he sees fit. It will be necessary, given that Heaps is a starter and is now eligible for the day’s lineup.

“The process got us here, right? So, you know, we can think about changing the plan. We’ve changed the planning process. [against Houston] right? Probably the biggest change of plans I’ve made. It gave other players an opportunity they haven’t had yet. I’m going to stick with the process, and like I said, I think for me going from being a good team to being a great team is about being intentional, and it’s about being accountable and taking responsibility and doing more,” Cushing said after the team’s draw with Houston.

“If you have a good game, you have to go and see how you can have a great game. And if you’ve had two chances, how do you get four chances? … If I’m the number nine, or I’m a different player, or if I’m the 10th player who goes into the box and I don’t get a lot of offensive volume from their time to work why I work.

“So as a player you have to ask yourself how you will get there, and as coaches you have to put pressure on us, make sure you are a player who will get there, and then the team will benefit from that. It’s great. [against Houston] but I agree a little bit, we need it, there is something missing that will take us to that next step.”

The club, the coach, and the locker room can be optimistic; maybe that something more will, in fact, be Lindsey Heaps.

How to watch Denver Summit FC vs. Portland Thorns

Date: Saturday, July 18 | Time: 2pm ET
Location: Centennial Stadium — Centennial, Colorado
TV: CBS | Live streaming: Important+

How to watch Bay FC vs. North Carolina Courage

Date: Saturday, July 18 | Time: 4pm ET
Location: PayPal Park — San Jose, California
TV: CBS | Live streaming: Important+