Lindsey Heaps
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Lindsey Michelle Heaps (née Horan; /həˈræn/ hə-RAN; born May 26, 1994) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Denver Summit FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and captains the United States national team.
Heaps began her career with Paris Saint-Germain in France at age 18 in 2012, emerging as a prolific scorer. In 2016, she joined the NWSL's Portland Thorns and helped lead the team to two NWSL Shields and the NWSL Championship in 2017, scoring the winning goal in the final. She was a four-time NWSL Best XI selection and was named the NWSL Most Valuable Player in 2018. After six years in Portland, she joined French powerhouse Lyon in 2022, initially on loan, and won the UEFA Women's Champions League in her debut season. After winning five league titles in five seasons at Lyon, she returned to the NWSL with hometown team Denver Summit in 2026.
Heaps made her senior debut for the United States and was named the U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year in 2013. She was part of the team that won the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, won bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and captained the team to win gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She was named the U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year in 2021.
Early life
Heaps was born May 26, 1994, and grew up in Golden, Colorado, near Denver. Although she attended Golden High School, she did not play soccer for the school. Instead, she played club soccer with the Colorado Rush. She first started playing for the Colorado Edge during the U-11 tryouts. In March, when Heaps was 15 years old and was one of the youngest players on the United States under-17 women's national team, she scored 12 goals in nine games (a team-best) leading up to the North American/Central American/Caribbean U-17 tournament in Costa Rica. During her sophomore year at Golden, she was named to the Parade Magazine High School All-American team although she didn't play high school soccer.
In 2012, Heaps was named the top-ranked college prospect by ESPN. Although she had a scholarship to play for Tar Heels of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill starting in the 2012 season, Heaps bypassed her college career and signed with French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Club career
Colorado Rush
Heaps played for the Colorado Rush in the 2012 USL W-League season. She played three games for the team, scoring two goals and taking 19 shots. Her performance for the Rush against Seattle Sounders Women on June 1, 2012, in which Heaps scored a goal against Seattle and USWNT goalkeeper Hope Solo, impressed several national team players who also played for Seattle. After the match, Megan Rapinoe called Heaps "a hell of a player".
Paris Saint-Germain
In July 2012, 18-year-old Heaps signed a six-figure deal with the professional French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), giving up her college eligibility. On September 23, she made her professional debut for the club, scoring in a 5–0 win over Saint-Étienne. On January 30, 2013, she scored her first professional hat trick as PSG routed second-tier Montigny in their Coupe de France Féminine opener. She finished her debut season with 20 goals, including 17 in the league, leading PSG in scoring alongside Kosovare Asllani, as the club placed second in the league behind Lyon.
The following season, Heaps made her UEFA Women's Champions League debut on October 9, 2013, in the round of 32 first leg against Swedish club Tyresö, but PSG lost 2–1 thanks to two goals by Christen Press. On May 10, 2014, she scored a goal in a 6–0 Paris derby win in the Coupe de France semifinals, helping send PSG to the final where they lost to Lyon. She finished the season as PSG's second-leading scorer behind Marie-Laure Delie with 16 goals, including 14 in the league.
On October 15, 2014, Heaps scored her first Champions League goal in a 1–0 win over Dutch club Twente in the round of 32 second leg. The next month, she helped PSG oust rivals Lyon from the Champions League round of 16. She then underwent surgery early the next year and missed the rest of the season as PSG reached the Champions League final. She had scored 10 goals through half a season.
On January 4, 2016, PSG announced Heaps's contract had been terminated to allow her to return to the United States. She played her final game on December 5, 2015, a 5–0 win over Juvisy, scoring the opening goal. Heaps scored 46 goals in 58 appearances for PSG.[citation needed]
Portland Thorns
On January 13, 2016, Heaps signed with Portland Thorns FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Unlike her role at PSG, Heaps played for Portland in central midfield in a position similar to her national team role. She made her NWSL debut on April 17, scoring the 2–1 winner in Portland's season opener against the Orlando Pride. On September 25, she scored in the 3–1 regular-season finale win over Sky Blue as the Thorns clinched the NWSL Shield with the best record in the league. The following week, she made her playoff debut and scored in extra time in a 4–3 defeat to eventual champions Western New York Flash. She finished the season with 6 goals in 16 appearances in all competitions.
The following season, Heaps started all 26 games and scored 5 goals for the Thorns as she won her first NWSL championship. On June 3, 2017, she scored twice in a 2–0 win over Sky Blue FC, earning NWSL Player of the Week. In the playoffs, after placing second in the table, she recorded an assist to Hayley Raso in the 4–1 semifinal win over the Orlando Pride. She then scored the only goal in Portland's 1–0 win over the North Carolina Courage in the final and was named NWSL Championship MVP. She was also named to the NWSL Second XI at the end of the season.
In 2018, Heaps started 24 games and led the Thorns with 14 goals, ranking third on the regular-season scoring chart with 13. She was named NWSL Player of the Month for July 2018 after she scoring three goals to help the Thorns to a 3–0–0 record. On September 7, she scored twice in a 3–1 comeback win over rivals Seattle Reign on the last day of the season, clinching a home playoff game and winning NWSL Player of the Week. In the playoffs, she recorded a goal and an assist in a 2–1 semifinal win over the Reign, helping send the Thorns back into the final, which they lost 3–0 to the North Carolina Courage. Following the season, she was named to the NWSL Best XI and was named the NWSL Most Valuable Player.
In 2019, Heaps was named to the NWSL Best XI for the second consecutive year despite missing much of the season while at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. She played in 14 games and scored 1 goal as the Thorns placed third in the league, losing 1–0 to the Chicago Red Stars in the playoff semifinals. In 2020, she was a key player in helping the Thorns win the NWSL Fall Series and the associated Community Shield, though the COVID-19 pandemic limited her to 8 games and 2 goals.
On April 21, 2021, Heaps made her first appearance of the season and scored from a free kick in a 2–0 win over the Seattle Reign in the NWSL Challenge Cup group stage. Two weeks later, she won the Challenge Cup final against NJ/NY Gotham FC, converting in the 6–5 penalty shootout after a 1–1 draw. She finished the season with 3 goals in 17 appearances in all competitions as the Thorns won the NWSL Shield for the second time. She missed Portland's playoff semifinal due to an eye injury, where the Thorns lost 2–0 to the Chicago Red Stars. She was named to the NWSL Second XI at the end of the season, receiving her fourth NWSL Best XI selection.
Lyon
On January 27, 2022, Heaps returned to France on loan with continental powerhouse Olympique Lyonnais. On February 6, she made her debut for Lyon in a 1–0 win over Bordeaux. On May 21, she played the full match in the Champions League final as Lyon won 3–1 against defending champions Barcelona, securing the club's eighth European title. Heaps and teammate Catarina Macario became the fourth and fifth Americans to win the UEFA Women's Champions League. She made 10 appearances in her debut season as Lyon won their record-extending 15th league title.
On September 18, 2022, Heaps scored her first goal for Lyon in a 2–1 victory over Soyaux. On October 27, she scored her first Champions League goal for the club as they drew 1–1 with Juventus in the group stage. On March 17, 2023, she opened the scoring against Fleury in a 2–0 win in the Coupe de France Féminine semifinals, helping send Lyon to the final (which they won 2–1 over Paris Saint-Germain). Later that month, she assisted Vanessa Gilles to level the Champions League quarterfinal tie against Chelsea, which ended 2–2 on aggregate. However, the defending champions were eliminated on penalties after Heaps took the final shot and had it saved. She made 27 appearances and scored 8 goals during the season as Lyon defended the league title. She was named to the UNFP Team of the Season after the season.
On June 22, 2023, the Thorns permanently transferred Heaps to Lyon for a fee of €250,000 (US$274,000) with a conditional bonus of an additional €50,000 (US$54,750). On October 14, she scored her first hat trick for Lyon in a 6–0 league victory over Saint-Étienne. On March 27, 2024, she provided two assists in a 4–1 win over Benfica in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals. On May 12, she provided two assists against Reims in the new league playoff semifinals, before winning her third consecutive league title after beating PSG in the final. Lyon also reached the Champions League final but lost 2–0 to Barcelona. She finished the season with 7 goals in 27 appearances in all competitions and was named in the UNFP and FFF D1 Arkema Teams of the Season, also earning a nomination for their Player of the Year awards.
On November 16, 2024, Heaps scored her second hat trick for Lyon in the first 35 minutes, also against Saint-Étienne. Lyon reached the Champions League semifinals but were eliminated by eventual champions Arsenal. On May 11, 2025, she scored in the league playoff semifinals against Dijon as Lyon went on to their fourth consecutive league title. She ended the season with 13 goals in 28 appearances in all competitions, also leading the league with 8 assists, and was named in the UNFP and LFFP Teams of the Season.
Heaps made 35 appearances and scored 6 goals in her final season with Lyon. On May 10, 2026, she scored the last goal in the Coupe de France final against PSG, securing her tenth title with Lyon in all competitions after a 4–1 win. The next week, she scored against Nantes in the league playoff semifinals. On May 23, she played in her third Champions League final but lost 4–0 to Barcelona. On May 29, she played her final match for Lyon as they won 5–0 against Paris FC in the league final, securing a fifth consecutive championship.
Denver Summit
On January 12, 2026, NWSL expansion team Denver Summit FC announced the signing of Heaps on a three-and-a-half-year contract, the player returning to her home state after the end of her Lyon season.
International career
Heaps played for the United States women's national under-17 soccer team and was the leading scorer for the team at the 2010 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship. She helped the United States women's national under-20 soccer team win the 2012 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship in March by scoring four goals, including a hat trick against Guatemala in the group stage. Heaps was unable to play in the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup because of a knee injury that required surgery.
In February 2013, at the age of eighteen, she was named to the senior team roster for the 2013 Algarve Cup. She earned her first cap for the senior team during a group stage match against China at the Algarve on March 8, 2013. Heaps was called up to the senior roster near the end of 2015, and scored her first goal for the senior team during a 'Woman of the Match' performance against Trinidad & Tobago in December 2015. She was on the roster for the 2016 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship and started the opening group stage match against Costa Rica in central midfield. While Heaps played successfully as a striker during her time at PSG (2012–16), with 46 goals in 56 appearances, she played in central midfield after her return to the national team in 2016.[citation needed]
Heaps was called up for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, scoring her first World Cup goal in the opening game against Thailand on June 11. On January 31, 2020, she scored her first career hat-trick, against Panama in the 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship, in addition to assisting goals scored by Lynn Williams and Tobin Heath.
On July 24, 2021, Heaps played her 100th match for the USWNT, and scored a goal in a 6–1 win over New Zealand in the 2020 Summer Olympics.
At the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, Heaps scored in the U.S.'s opening match against Vietnam. This gave her goals in successive World Cups. Heaps also scored in the U.S.'s match against the Netherlands, tying the game 1–1.
Heaps was selected to the 18-player roster for the 2024 Summer Olympics in France. She started and captained the team in all six USWNT matches, including the final, in which the team defeated Brazil 1–0 to win the gold medal.
Personal life
Heaps married soccer analyst Tyler Heaps on December 28, 2024. They met when he was working for U.S. Soccer; he is now the sporting director and general manager for San Diego FC of Major League Soccer. Heaps began using her married name in 2025 for international matches; however, she continued to use her maiden name with Lyon through the remainder of the 2024–25 campaign since the Première Ligue does not allow name changes mid-season. Heaps started using her married name ahead of the 2025–26 season.
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Regular Season | Play-offs | |||||||||
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Colorado Rush | 2012 | USL W-League | 3 | 2 | — | — | 3 | 2 | |||
| Total | 3 | 2 | — | — | 3 | 2 | |||||
| Paris Saint-Germain | 2012–13 | Division 1 Féminine | 20 | 17 | — | 5 | 3 | — | 25 | 20 | |
| 2013–14 | 18 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 16 | |||
| 2014–15 | 11 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 10 | |||
| 2015–16 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 8 | |||
| Total | 58 | 46 | — | 8 | 5 | 10 | 3 | 76 | 54 | ||
| Portland Thorns FC | 2016 | NWSL | 15 | 5 | 1 | 1 | — | 16 | 6 | ||
| 2017 | 24 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 26 | 5 | |||||
| 2018 | 22 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 24 | 14 | |||||
| 2019 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 1 | |||||
| 2020 | — | 8 | 2 | — | 8 | 2 | |||||
| 2021 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 3 | |
| Total | 87 | 25 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 105 | 31 | |
| Lyon (loan) | 2021–22 | Première Ligue | 5 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Lyon | 2022–23 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 27 | 8 |
| 2023–24 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 27 | 7 | |
| 2024–25 | 17 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 28 | 16 | |
| 2025–26 | 16 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 35 | 7 | |||
| Total | 67 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 4 | 43 | 4 | 123 | 37 | |
| Denver Summit FC | 2026 | NWSL | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 215 | 102 | 8 | 3 | 34 | 12 | 54 | 7 | 311 | 124 |
Notes
International
As of match played June 9, 2026
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2013 | 2 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 24 | 2 | |
| 2017 | 13 | 1 | |
| 2018 | 19 | 3 | |
| 2019 | 16 | 5 | |
| 2020 | 8 | 7 | |
| 2021 | 22 | 6 | |
| 2022 | 14 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 17 | 5 | |
| 2024 | 22 | 5 | |
| 2025 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2026 | 8 | 2 | |
| Total | 178 | 40 |
International goals
Scores and results list the United States' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Heaps goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | December 10, 2015 | San Antonio, Texas | Trinidad and Tobago | 6–0 | 6–0 | Friendly | |
| 2 | February 21, 2016 | Houston, Texas | Canada | 1–0 | 2–0 | Olympic qualifier: Final | |
| 3 | June 2, 2016 | Commerce City, Colorado | Japan | 3–2 | 3–3 | Friendly | |
| 4 | September 19, 2017 | Cincinnati, Ohio | New Zealand | 1–0 | 5–0 | Friendly | |
| 5 | April 8, 2018 | Houston, Texas | Mexico | 2–2 | 6–2 | Friendly | |
| 6 | July 29, 2018 | East Hartford, Connecticut | Australia | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2018 Tournament of Nations | |
| 7 | October 10, 2018 | Cary, North Carolina | Trinidad and Tobago | 5–0 | 7–0 | World Cup qualifier: Group A | |
| 8 | April 7, 2019 | Los Angeles, California | Belgium | 3–0 | 6–0 | Friendly | |
| 9 | June 11, 2019 | Reims, France | Thailand | 3–0 | 13–0 | World Cup: Group F | |
| 10 | June 20, 2019 | Le Havre, France | Sweden | 1–0 | 2–0 | World Cup: Group F | |
| 11 | August 3, 2019 | Pasadena, California | Republic of Ireland | 2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly | |
| 12 | September 3, 2019 | St. Paul, Minnesota | Portugal | 3–0 | 3–0 | Friendly | |
| 13 | January 28, 2020 | Houston, Texas | Haiti | 3–0 | 4–0 | Olympic qualifier: Group A | |
| 14 | January 31, 2020 | Houston, Texas | Panama | 1–0 | 8–0 | Olympic qualifier: Group A | |
| 15 | 3–0 | ||||||
| 16 | 8–0 | ||||||
| 17 | February 4, 2020 | Houston, Texas | Costa Rica | 2–0 | 6–0 | Olympic qualifier: Group A | |
| 18 | February 9, 2020 | Carson, California | Canada | 2–0 | 3–0 | Olympic qualifier: Final | |
| 19 | March 11, 2020 | Frisco, Texas | Japan | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2020 SheBelieves Cup: Final | |
| 20 | January 22, 2021 | Orlando, Florida | Colombia | 5–0 | 6–0 | Friendly | |
| 21 | June 13, 2021 | Houston, Texas | Jamaica | 2–0 | 4–0 | Friendly | |
| 22 | July 5, 2021 | East Hartford, Connecticut | Mexico | 1–0 | 4–0 | Friendly | |
| 23 | July 24, 2021 | Saitama, Japan | New Zealand | 2–0 | 6–1 | Olympics: Group G | |
| 24 | October 26, 2021 | Saint Paul, Minnesota | South Korea | 1–0 | 6–0 | Friendly | |
| 25 | November 27, 2021 | Sydney, Australia | Australia | 3–0 | 3–0 | Friendly | |
| 26 | September 3, 2022 | Kansas City, Kansas | Nigeria | 2–0 | 4–0 | Friendly | |
| 27 | April 8, 2023 | Austin, Texas | Republic of Ireland | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly | |
| 28 | July 22, 2023 | Auckland, New Zealand | Vietnam | 3–0 | 3–0 | World Cup: Group E | |
| 29 | July 27, 2023 | Wellington, New Zealand | Netherlands | 1–1 | 1–1 | World Cup: Group E | |
| 30 | October 29, 2023 | San Diego, California | Colombia | 2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly | |
| 31 | December 2, 2023 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | China | 2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly | |
| 32 | February 23, 2024 | Carson, California | Argentina | 4–0 | 4–0 | CONCACAF W Gold Cup | |
| 33 | March 3, 2024 | Los Angeles, California | Colombia | 1–0 | 3–0 | CONCACAF W Gold Cup | |
| 34 | March 10, 2024 | San Diego, California | Brazil | 1–0 | 1–0 | CONCACAF W Gold Cup | |
| 35 | April 6, 2024 | Atlanta, Georgia | Japan | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2024 SheBelieves Cup | |
| 36 | October 27, 2024 | Nashville, Tennessee | Iceland | 2–1 | 3–1 | Friendly | |
| 37 | April 5, 2025 | Inglewood, California | Brazil | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly | |
| 38 | May 31, 2025 | Saint Paul, Minnesota | China | 3–0 | 3–0 | Friendly | |
| 39 | March 4, 2026 | Nashville, Tennessee | Argentina | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2026 SheBelieves Cup | |
| 40 | April 11, 2026 | San Jose, California | Japan | 2–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
Honors
Portland Thorns FC
- NWSL Championship: 2017
- NWSL Shield: 2016, 2021
- NWSL Community Shield: 2020
- NWSL Challenge Cup: 2021
- Women's International Champions Cup: 2021
OL Lyonnes
- Première Ligue: 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24 2024–25, 2025–26
- UEFA Women's Champions League: 2021–22
- Coupe de France Féminine: 2022–23, 2025–26
- Trophée des Championnes: 2022
- Women's International Champions Cup: 2022
- Coupe LFFP: 2025–26
United States U20
United States
- FIFA Women's World Cup: 2019
- Summer Olympic Games Gold Medal: 2024
- Summer Olympic Games Bronze Medal: 2020
- CONCACAF Women's Championship: 2018; 2022
- CONCACAF W Gold Cup: 2024
- CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament: 2016; 2020
- SheBelieves Cup: 2016; 2018; 2020; 2021; 2023,2024, 2026
- Tournament of Nations: 2018
Individual
- U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year: 2021
- U.S Soccer Young Female Player of the Year: 2013
- NWSL Most Valuable Player: 2018
- NWSL Best XI: 2018, 2019
- NWSL Second XI: 2017, 2021
- NWSL Championship Most Valuable Player: 2017
- Arkema D1 Team of the Season: 2023–24 2024–25
- UNFP D1 Arkema Best XI: 2023, 2024 2025
- UEFA Women's Champions League Team of the Season: 2023–24
- CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament Best XI: 2020
- CONCACAF W Gold Cup Best XI: 2024
- Arkema Première Ligue Player of the Month: September 2024
- The Best FIFA Women's 11: 2024
- ESPN FC Women's Rank: #17 on the 2024 list of 50 best women's soccer players 2024
- IFFHS Women's World Team: 2024
See also
Match reports
External links
- at Paris Saint-Germain Féminine (archived) (in French)
- at Portland Thorns FC (archived)
- at theNational Women's Soccer League(archived)
- atU.S. Soccer
- atTeam USA()
- atOlympics.com
- atOlympedia
- onInstagram