Ten years in this league. Franchises folded. A knee injury that almost ended everything. And right now, by every advanced metric, Abby Smith is having the best season of her professional career.
She's back on The 5280 Pitch for her second conversation with Kate, and this one goes deeper. Abby talks about what it actually feels like inside the Summit locker room 11 games in — the eagerness, the growth, the moments that don't make the highlight reel. She breaks down her preparation as a goalkeeper, what she studies before every match, and how she ended up in a one-on-one standoff with Emma Sears in the final minutes of Denver's last game before the break.
And she talks about Lindsey Heaps. What the locker room energy is right now, what changes when Lindsey arrives, and why she thinks Denver is closer to contending than the standings show.
This is a conversation about what it looks like when a veteran finally lands in the right place at the right time — and decides to make the most of it.
What we cover in this episode:
Making the NWSL Best XI in March and what's driving the best stretch of her career
The goalkeeper room — how she, Pauline Peyraud-Magnin, and Jordan Nytes push each other What she studies before every match and how she reads penalty kicks
Her read on rookies Devin Lynch and Natalie Means through 11 games
The final-minute save on Emma Sears that preserved a clean sheet
What Lindsey Heaps' arrival means — and what it won't change
Why this locker room feels different from Portland and Gotham
The 5280 Pitch. Women's Soccer at Altitude.
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