Saturday night, McKenna “Mak” Whitham made history, debuting in her first regular-season match for the NJ/NY Gotham, becoming the youngest player in NWSL history at just 14-years-old. Whitham came in during the final minutes of the 1-1 draw against the Seattle Reign.
“Standing on the sideline and waiting to get on the pitch was pretty exciting. I wanted to be out there and was ready,” Whitham said to ESPN. “But what was even better was when Coach Juan [Carlos Amorós] came up to me and said, ‘Enjoy the game and just be you.’ And that was what I did.”
Gotham’s, Gabi Portillo scored their first goal in the 47th minute, only to be cancelled out by Emeri Adame in the 71st minute for the Reign. Whitham’s substitution came late when Gotham’s Mandy Freeman was issued a red card for tackling Nérilia Mondésir in the 87th minute.
Whitham signed with the NJ/NY Gotham last year just a day before her 14th birthday. She signed a four year contract, effective January 1st, that will run through 2028. She also made history becoming the youngest athlete to sign an NIL deal with Nike in February 2024.
Whitham was the first player to take part in Gotham’s U18 Entry Mechanism, which allowed her to avoid the draft. Player signed through this program must follow special rules and provisions. Players are not allowed to be traded or released till they’re 18 unless they have parental/guardian consent. Additionally, player may not work past certain hours depending on state laws and must be living with their parents or guardians.
Throughout 2024, Whitham trained with Gotham till she joined them for preseason in Florida. She saw action in Columbia for their preseason tournament and made an appearance for the Washington Spirit in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. Her appearance’s made her the youngest player to step on the field for a U.S. professional soccer team, for both men and women.
“It’s been a dream come true what I’ve been doing, and I’m really proud of myself to have done it,” Whitham told ESPN. “But I still have many things in my future, and I know I can do it.”