Mckenna Whitham

Mckenna Whitham
Personal information
Date of birth (2010-07-27) July 27, 2010 (age 14)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 NJ/NY Gotham FC
Number 31
Youth career
–2023 MVLA Soccer Club
2023– Slammers FC HB Køge
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2024– NJ/NY Gotham FC 0 (0)
International career
2024– United States U15 4 (4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mckenna "Mak" Whitham (born July 27, 2010) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for NJ/NY Gotham FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She signed with Gotham at the age of 13 in 2024, becoming the youngest player in NWSL history. She has represented the United States at the youth international level.

Early life

Whitham grew up homeschooled in San Francisco, California.[2] Her father, Josh, was an alternate for the United States Ski Team at the 1998 Winter Olympics while in high school.[3] Whitham played club soccer for MVLA Soccer Club and then Slammers FC HB Køge of the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL).[4][5] She led MVLA to the under-13 national final in July 2023, where they finished runners-up to the Slammers.[6][7] 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.[8]

Club career

Gotham FC

At age 13, Whitham trained as a non-roster invitee with National Women's Soccer League clubs Kansas City Current, Washington Spirit and NJ/NY Gotham FC in the 2024 preseason. She became the youngest person to play for an NWSL team when she appeared in an exhibition game for Gotham at the Women's Cup in Colombia. She substituted for Kelley O'Hara in the 60th minute and scored the last-minute winning goal for a 1–0 victory over Deportivo Cali on February 27.[2][9] 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] She also trained with Los Angeles FC's MLS Next academy team and United Women's Soccer (UWS) club Santa Clarita Blue Heat.[1][10]

Gotham announced on July 26, 2024, that they had signed Whitham to a four-year under-18 contract effective January 1, 2025, making her the youngest signing in NWSL history one day before her 14th birthday. She also signed a short-term deal which allowed her to make her competitive debut two days later. She substituted in the 80th minute of Gotham's 2–1 win against the Washington Spirit in the Summer Cup group stage on July 28, becoming the youngest player in top-division American soccer history.[3][11] She signed another short-term deal for the Summer Cup final on October 26, substituting in the 66th minute of the 2–0 defeat to the Kansas City Current.[12][13]

International career

Whitham was called into camp with the United States national under-15 team at the end of 2023.[14] The next year, she helped the team win the 2024 CONCACAF Girls' U-15 Championship, scoring their second goal in a 3–0 win over Mexico in the final.[15]

Career statistics

Club

As of October 26, 2024
Club Season League Playoffs[a] Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
NJ/NY Gotham FC 2024 NWSL — — 3[b] 0 3 0
Career total 0 0 0 0 3 0 3 0
  1. ^ Includes NWSL playoffs
  2. ^ Includes NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup

Honors

United States U-15

References

  1. ^ a b c 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.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ a b Kassouf, Jeff (July 26, 2024). "Gotham signs Whitham, 13, youngest in NWSL". ESPN. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  4. ^ "ECNL Girls Announces Conference Cup Rosters". Elite Clubs National League. July 20, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2024 – via TopDrawerSoccer.
  5. ^ "USYNT ID Center – Girls 09 Norco". United States Soccer Federation. September 26, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2024 – via TopDrawerSoccer.
  6. ^ "Game-by-Game Recaps from the 2023 ECNL Girls Finals". SoccerWire. July 20, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  7. ^ Olorunfemi, Victor (December 27, 2023). "23 Female Players That Dominated 2023". TopDrawerSoccer. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  8. ^ Gibson, Charlotte (February 16, 2024). "U.S. soccer phenom Whitham, 13, youngest to ink Nike NIL deal". ESPN. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  9. ^ Gibson, Charlotte (February 28, 2024). "Whitham, 13, scores preseason game winner for NJ/NY Gotham". ESPN. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ Anzidei, Melanie (July 28, 2024). "McKenna Whitham, 14, becomes youngest to appear in top-level American soccer with NWSL debut". The Athletic. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  12. ^ "Gotham FC adds Seven National Team Replacement Players for Summer Cup Final". NJ/NY Gotham FC. October 24, 2024. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  13. ^ "Temwa Chawinga lifts Kansas City over Gotham to win inaugural Summer Cup". The Equalizer. October 26, 2024. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  14. ^ "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.
  15. ^ "U.S. U15 GNT Wins Concacaf Championship". TopDrawerSoccer. August 13, 2024. Retrieved November 5, 2024.