Mckenna Whitham
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | July 27, 2010[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Years | Team | ||
| –2023 | MVLA Soccer Club | ||
| 2023– | Slammers FC HB Køge | ||
Mckenna "Mak" Whitham (born July 27, 2010) is an American soccer player who plays as a forward for the United States girls' national under-15 team. She is the youngest person to sign a name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal with Nike. She began training with NJ/NY Gotham FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in 2024.
Early life[edit]
Whitham grew up homeschooled in San Francisco, California.[2] She played club soccer for MVLA Soccer Club and then Slammers FC HB Køge of the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL).[3][4] She led MVLA to the under-13 national final in July 2023, where they finished runners-up to the Slammers.[5][6] She signed a name, image, and likeness contract with Nike in February 2024 at age 13, becoming the youngest athlete in any sport to sign with the company.[7]
Club career[edit]
Whitham was announced as a non-roster invitee for Gotham FC in the preseason on February 13, 2024.[8] She had also trained with the Kansas City Current, the Washington Spirit and MLS Next's Los Angeles FC academy team; she signed with the semi-professional club Santa Clarita Blue Heat of United Women's Soccer (UWS) the previous month.[1][9] She scored a last-minute game winner for Gotham against Deportivo Cali in a preseason tournament in Colombia on February 28, 2024, becoming the youngest person to play or score for an NWSL team.[2][10] She continued training with Gotham during the 2024 season but did not publicly sign a contract with the team.[1] Gotham general manager Yael Averbuch West said Whitham "is clearly very ready, not just to handle this level, but to excel in our sessions".[1] If she signs with Gotham, the NWSL's Under-18 Entry Mechanism requires that the contract last through 2028.[1]
International career[edit]
After trying out for the national under-14 team in February 2023, Whitham was called up to the national under-15 team in October 2023.[11][12]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e Anzidei, Melanie (April 11, 2024). "Gotham FC's 13-year-old trainee Mak Whitham is scoring goals and readying to go pro". The Athletic. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^ a b Ingemi, Marisa (March 11, 2024). "13 years old with a Nike deal and NWSL goal: S.F. teen's fast track to pro soccer". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024.
- ^ "ECNL Girls Announces Conference Cup Rosters". Elite Clubs National League. July 20, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2024 – via TopDrawerSoccer.
- ^ "USYNT ID Center – Girls 09 Norco". United States Soccer Federation. September 26, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2024 – via TopDrawerSoccer.
- ^ "Game-by-Game Recaps from the 2023 ECNL Girls Finals". SoccerWire. July 20, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^ Olorunfemi, Victor (December 27, 2023). "23 Female Players That Dominated 2023". TopDrawerSoccer. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^ Gibson, Charlotte (February 16, 2024). "U.S. soccer phenom Whitham, 13, youngest to ink Nike NIL deal". ESPN. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^ "Gotham FC Adds Ten Players for Preseason Training". NJ/NY Gotham FC. February 13, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^ Baxter, Kevin (February 20, 2024). "Olivia Moultrie's fight for the right to play kicked off a U.S. soccer youth movement". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 7, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
Santa Clarita Blue Heat [@scblueheatfc] (January 3, 2024). "Let me introduce ..." Retrieved April 11, 2024 – via Instagram. - ^ Gibson, Charlotte (February 28, 2024). "Whitham, 13, scores preseason game winner for NJ/NY Gotham". ESPN. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^ "Eighty Players Set for U-14 Girls' West Region Talent Identification Mini-Camp in Southern California". United States Soccer Federation. February 23, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^ "U.S. Under-15 Women's Youth National Team Heads to Training Camp in Portland, Ore". United States Soccer Federation. October 6, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2024.