In this week’s women’s soccer news, Lindsey Heaps signs with Denver Summit; the NWSL schedule was released; Denise O’Sullivan left the North Carolina Courage; and more!
High of the Week
Denver Summit FC made a splash this week when they announced the signing of USWNT midfielder Lindsey Heaps. She’s a massive signing for the expansion club that will no doubt play a huge factor for this team. Heaps signed a four-year deal with the club, but she won’t report until after July, when Lyons’ current season ends.
Heaps was the first American player to skip college and go professional. She started her career with Paris Saint-Germain in 2012. The deal brings Heaps back to the NWSL for the first time since 2021, when she was with the Portland Thorns. With the Thorns, she played six seasons in Portland. It’s a huge move for Denver to sign their hometown midfielder, and she adds a lot of experience to their roster.
Denver is proving that they want to compete right away with their signings, and this is a team that should be good in their inaugural season.
Low of the Week
It’s a new week, and yet another NWSL midfielder is on the move to England. The North Carolina Courage announced that Denise O’Sullivan would be departing the club and joining Liverpool. O’Sullivan was the captain of the Courage and arguably one of their most important players, but the Ireland international is on the move.
O’Sullivan joined the Courage midway through the 2017 season after being cut by the Houston Dash, and she made an immediate impact. The defensive midfielder quickly became a very important player for North Carolina. During her time with the club, she made 155 appearances. With the club, she helped lead them to three NWSL Shield wins (2017-19), two NWSL Championships (2018 and 2019), and two NWSL Challenge Cup wins (2022 and 2023).
For O’Sullivan, the move makes sense; she’s much closer to her family, and she’s able to take on a new challenge. It didn’t take the midfielder long to make an impact as she scored a goal in her debut over the weekend.
News of the Week
The 2026 NWSL schedule was released this week, and it was announced that the NWSL Challenge Cup would take place in June this year. The match will feature the Kansas City Current taking on NJ/NY Gotham FC in Columbus, Ohio.
We’re just 52 days away from the start of the regular season. The season will kick off on March 13 when the Washington Spirit hosts the Portland Thorns. We’ll see both expansion teams take the field for the first time on March 14, with Boston Legacy hosting Gotham and Denver Summit traveling to take on Bay FC.
NWSL play will pause during the month of June to account for the 2026 Men’s World Cup as well as a CBA-mandated break.
Rivalry Week is back and will be from July 10-15 with games like the Cascadia Rivalry and San Diego Wave vs Angel City as well as more. Decision Day will once again be a thing with the final day of regular season play being on November 1. The NWSL Championship will take place on November 21, and the venue will be announced later on.
Signing of the Week
The Houston Dash announced this week that they have signed former North Carolina Tar Heel Kate Faase through the 2028 season. Faase had a breakout junior season at North Carolina when she scored 20 goals, led the Tar Heels to a win in the 2024 National Championship, and won the 2024 MAC Hermann Trophy. Houston struggled in the attack last season, so adding an attacker of the caliber of Faase is a huge boost for them in terms of offensive production.
Transfer of the Week
In a bit of a surprise move, the Chicago Stars traded Brazilian forward Ludmila to the San Diego Wave. In return, the Stars received $800,000 in transfer funds with an additional $200,000 on the table depending on performance conditions. Ludmila joined Chicago in 2024 and had an impressive 2025 season where she scored 10 goals. San Diego was in desperate need of a goal-scoring threat and they got that with Ludmila, so it’ll be fun to see what she can do with her new team.
Assist of the Week
Erin Cuthbert was able to force a turnover and get by two defenders and then play a beautiful through ball into Sam Kerr, who confidently placed the ball into the back of the net. The ball was placed right into her stride.
Goal of the Week
Denise O’Sullivan wasted no time getting on the score sheet for Liverpool and it was a spectacular goal. She made a run into the box and hit the cross perfectly on a volley sending it into the back of the net.
Social Media Post of the Week
The Utah Royals social media team deserves a raise for their 2026 schedule reveal. It was a really neat concept of creating this crime story and coming up with names for each team in the story. If you haven’t watched the video yet, you definitely should take the time to do that. It was super creative and a fun way for them to sort of kick off their season and play into the underdog role.