DENVER — As Denver Summit FC’s opening match draws nearer, the club is filling out its inaugural roster – and we’re tracking who’s been added to the team.
Denver’s first professional women’s sports franchise has been met with a great deal of interest since the NWSL announced it would have a club in the Mile High City back in January. More than 8,500 people have reserved season tickets ahead of the team’s first season, and more 25,000 and counting are set to attend its inaugural match at Empower Field at Mile High on March 28.
The Summit will play at a temporary stadium in Centennial after that while a permanent stadium is built – though the process of securing a site in Denver was in flux.
- New to the NWSL? Here are the tools at the Summit's disposal to build its roster over the next couple of years, including some new mechanisms just introduced by the league this season.
- The Summit's full inaugural season schedule has dropped, and we have the deets. Game times, how to watch and more here.
We’ll update the list below as players are signed to the roster. You can also view the Summit FC’s roster page here.
Olivia Thomas, forward
Thomas is a decorated standout from the University of North Carolina and has signed a three-year contract with the team.
She helped lead UNC to the 2024 NCAA National Championship and emerged as one of the top attacking players in the country, the Summit said. She earned Third Team All-America honors and First Team All-ACC recognition in 2025.
“I’m incredibly grateful for my time at UNC and excited for this next chapter with Denver Summit FC,” Thomas said. “The opportunity to begin my professional career with a new club, alongside such an ambitious vision, is something I’m really looking forward to. I’m ready to keep growing and competing at the highest level.”
Devin Lynch, attacker
Lynch is described by the Summit as a "decorated attacking standout" from Duke University who has arrived after four years playing for the Blue Devils.
In her final two collegiate seasons, she scored 13 goals and has 17 assists, emerging as one of the most consistent attacking contributors in the ACC.
Her performances earned her TopDrawerSoccer National Team of the Week honors, and ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors, the team said.
“Devin is a proven winner who understands what it takes to compete at the highest level,” said Curt Johnson, general manager of Denver Summit FC. “Her ability to impact games in big moments, combined with her consistency and experience on College Cup teams, makes her an exciting addition as we continue building our inaugural roster.”
She signed a one-year deal through the 2026 season.
Faith Webber, forward
Webber has worked to become one of the most accomplished forwards in Utah Valley University history and was among the most productive scorers in Division I in her final two seasons.
During her graduate campaign in 2025, she led the nation in total goals — with 22 — while ranking third nationally in total points and fourth in points per game, the Summit said in a press release.
Webber signed a one-year deal through the 2026 season.
“Faith is an accomplished forward with a proven ability to contribute at every level,” said Curt Johnson, general manager of Denver Summit FC. “Her consistency, competitiveness, and track record of production make her a strong addition to our inaugural roster.
Jordan Nytes, goalkeeper
Nytes is an Aurora native and former member of the University of Colorado women’s soccer team. She was one of the top collegiate goalkeepers in the country in 2025, earning First-Team All-American honors and finishing as one of 15 semifinalists for the MAC Hermann Trophy – soccer’s equivalent to the Heisman Trophy.
She is CU’s all-time leader in shutouts and set a school record with 17 wins last season. Nytes was a three-time Goalkeeper of the Year in the Big 12 Conference.
Nytes signed a one-year deal for the 2026 season, becoming the second goalkeeper signed by the Summit. NWSL veteran goalie Abby Smith was one of the club’s early acquisitions.
Natalie Means, defender
Means signed with the Denver Summit on Jan. 16, 2026, following a decorated few years at Georgetown University. She became one of the top performers in the Big East, earning unanimous First Team All-Big East, First Team All-Region, and Second Team Scholar All-American.
In her final collegiate season, she tallied 10 goals and six assists for 26 points.
“Natalie is a proven competitor who has consistently performed at a high level in one of the nation’s strongest collegiate conferences,” said Curt Johnson, general manager of Denver Summit. “Her on-field production, work rate, and leadership, combined with her academic achievements, make her an excellent fit for our club as we continue building our inaugural roster.”
She signed a two-year deal.
Melissa Kössler, forward
Kössler brings more international experience to the Summit roster. She's spent the last four seasons with TSG Hoffenheim in Germany's top women's soccer league, Frauen-Bundesliga, and has represented Germany as a member of the senior national team and at youth levels.
Kössler played one season of collegiate soccer stateside, with the University of Massachusetts in 2019.
She signed a two-year contract with Denver through the 2027 season.
Emma Regan, midfielder
Regan, who turns 26 at the end of January, joins Summit FC from another expansion club in AFC Toronto of Canada's Northern Super League, where she served as the club's first captain during its inaugural season.
Regan has represented Canada on its senior national team after representing her country at multiple youth international levels. She's also played for HB Køge in Denmark's top division.
Regan signed a contract with Denver through 2028 with a mutual option for the 2029 season.
Lindsey Heaps, midfielder
Denver Summit FC has announced the signing of Colorado native and U.S. Women's National Team captain Lindsey Heaps – an acquisition that marks a major splash just ahead of its inaugural training camp.
Heaps’s resume includes some of the sport’s highest achievements. She is a World Cup winner (2019), an Olympic gold medalist (2024) and a three-time CONCACAF champion with the U.S. Women’s National Team.
Individually, she was deemed one of the top 11 women’s professional players in the world as one of FIFA Women’s Best XI in 2024 and was named U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year in 2021.
She’s made 170 appearances for the USWNT.
Heaps will leave Olympique Lyonnais at the end of the Division I Féminine season, with her arrival in Denver expected in June, according to the club. Lyon sits atop the French league table thus far in 2025-26.
Yuna McCormack, midfielder
Just over a month after her Florida State Seminoles won the Women's College Cup, Denver Summit FC announced it had signed McCormack to a three-year deal.
She started 20 matches and scored six goals en route to the NCAA title.
McCormack has represented the United States at several different youth international levels from U-13 to U-20.
Janine Sonis, defender
In Sonis, the Summit acquired another player with Colorado roots and with robust international experience.
The club acquired the 31-year-old defender in a trade with Racing Louisville FC in a deal announced Jan. 9.
Sonis grew up in Highlands Ranch, playing youth soccer for Real Colorado and four seasons at Valor Christian High School.
She has played more than 100 matches across three clubs in the NWSL, including the 2022 Portland Thorns club that won a league title.She’s also made 109 international appearances for the Canadian Women’s National Team, and was part of multiple trophy-winning Manchester City WFC clubs in England.
Sonis is under contract with the Summit through the 2028 season.
Jasmine Aikey, forward
Jasmine Aikey was announced as a new forward added to the Summit on Jan. 8. The Stanford grad will bring "creativity, composure, and attacking versatility" to the Denver team, they said in the announcement.
At Stanford, she became one of the most dynamic players in college soccer, becoming an ACC champion and ACC Tournament champion in 2025 after winning a Pac-12 title in 2022. Over her time at the university, she scored 43 goals and had 29 assists.
Aikey was named the 2025 TopDrawerSoccer Player of the Year, earned MAC Hermann Trophy finalist honors, the team said.
“I’m incredibly excited to join Denver Summit FC and be part of building something new from the ground up,” she said. “This club’s vision and commitment to excellence really stood out to me, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to take the next step in my career with a team that believes in the future of the game. I’m ready to get to work and help set the standard in Denver.”
She signed a two-year contract through the 2027 season.
Ayo Oke, defender
The Summit on Jan. 5 announced the signing of Oke, a USWNT youth defender who was most recently with CF Pachuca in Mexico’s Liga MX Femenil, to a three-year contract.
Oke, 22, brings more championship pedigree to the inaugural Summit roster having helped Pachuca to its first-ever Clausura title. She has also represented the USWNT at multiple youth levels and is regarded as a top prospect in the sport.
She was a decorated collegiate soccer player at UC Berkeley and UCLA before playing professionally.
Last month, ESPN reported that Oke was Denver-bound on a record-setting transfer fee. According to their reporting, Denver Summit FC was set to send nearly $450,000 to Pachuca to land Oke – which the outlet said would be the most an NWSL team has ever paid for an American transfer.
The NWSL this year empowered its expansion clubs – Denver and Boston Legacy FC – with new roster-building mechanisms it said would lead to more competitive rosters. The Summit was allotted just over $1 million to spend on player acquisition between now and the end of 2027, with half of the funds being provided by the league.
Carson Pickett, defender
Pickett, 32, is a pioneering member of the USWNT, an NWSL champion and two-time Best XI honoree.
In the NWSL, Pickett has made 185 combined appearances for Seattle Reign FC, North Carolina Courage and Racing Louisville FC since her debut in 2016. She debuted internationally for the USWNT in 2022 after having represented the U.S.
Pickett, who was born without a left hand and forearm, became the first player with a limb difference to play for the senior national team.
Denver on Dec. 22 announced it had signed the veteran left back to a two-year deal through 2027.
Camryn Biegalski, defender
Summit FC on Dec. 11 announced it had signed Biegalski, an NWSL champion and five-year veteran of the league, to a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2027.
Biegalski was most recently part of Chicago Stars FC, in her second stint with the franchise. She started her career with the Chicago Red Stars before the club's rebrand and then spent time with the Washington Spirit, where she was a member of the 2021 NWSL champion squad.
The 27-year-old has made 64 NWSL appearances, including 20 during the 2025 season with Chicago.
Jordan Baggett, midfielder
The Summit on Dec. 9 announced it had signed Colorado native and NWSL champion Jordan Baggett to a one-year contract, bringing the inaugural roster to seven members.
The 29-year-old midfielder was a member of the 2021 Washington Spirit team that won an NWSL title, though she played in just three games before missing the lion’s share of the season with an injury. She most recently played for Racing Louisville, making 19 appearances across the 2023 and 2024 seasons. She did not make an appearance in 2025.
Baggett was a decorated collegiate player at Stanford before becoming the No. 3 overall pick in the NWSL draft in 2019. She played youth soccer in the Colorado Rush player development program. The Summit's announcement of Baggett's signing lists her hometown as Littleton, while her Racing Louisville bio and other NWSL reporting say she hails from Highlands Ranch.
She's played internationally in the U-20 and U-23 ranks, according to the Summit.
Abby Smith, goalkeeper
The Summit announced on Dec. 3 that it had signed its goalkeeper.
Abby Smith is an NWSL veteran and two-time league champion who has also played on the U.S. Women’s National Team and in Australia’s A-League.
The 32-year-old won the NWSL title in 2022 with the Portland Thorns and in 2023 with Gotham City FC.
“Joining Denver Summit FC at the start of something new feels really special,” said Smith. “This club’s vision and energy are inspiring, and I’m proud to be part of building something that represents both excellence and community. I can’t wait to get to work in Denver and help lay the foundation for success from day one.”
She joins the Summit on a two-year contract that includes a mutual option for 2028.
Megan Reid, defender
Reid joins her second inaugural roster in the NWSL, having played for the first-ever Angel City FC team in its debut 2022 season and staying there through the most recent season.
She was called up to the Canadian national team last year.
Reid now joins the Summit on a three-year contract through 2028.
According to her Angel City FC bio, Reid has spent time off the pitch as an emergency medical technician and volunteer firefighter.
Kaleigh Kurtz, defender
Kurtz brings unmatched durability to the Summit roster, having logged four ironwoman seasons – meaning she played every minute of the regular season – over eight years with the North Carolina Courage.
She set league records for consecutive games and minutes played, and won two NWSL titles in that span.
Kurtz inked a three-year deal in November through the 2028 season.
Nahikari García, forward
The Spaniard marked the Summit’s first international signing, having spent several years playing for multiple clubs in Spain’s premiere women’s league, Liga F. Garcia set Real Sociedad Femenino’s record for goals scored.
She also brings Spanish women’s national team and Women’s World Cup experience to Denver, where she’ll join for the 2026 preseason after finishing the 2025 season on loan to Nottingham Forest Women FC.
Lourdes Bosch, midfielder
Denver’s second-ever player acquisition was Bosch, a midfielder added on transfer from Melbourne City FC in Australia’s A-League.
Bosch led the A-League in assists (9) and scored four goals in her first professional season, helping Melbourne City to an undefeated regular season and earning a call-up to Mexico’s women’s national team in May.
She was signed through 2027 but was loaned to C.F. Monterrey Femenil of Mexico’s Liga MX Femenil. She’s expected to join Denver’s club for preseason early next year.
Ally Watt, forward
The Colorado native became the first member of Denver’s roster when Summit FC acquired her via trade with the Orlando Pride in August.
Watt, who was born in Colorado Springs, played for Orlando for the last three years. She was loaned back to Orlando for the remainder of the 2025 season as part of the NWSL’s new intra-league loan program – one of a few new roster building options the league is rolling out this year.
Denver sent just over $112,000 in expansion and transfer funds to Orlando in the trade.
