Thirteen-year-old soccer phenom McKenna “Mak” Whitham scored the game-winning goal in the final minute Tuesday as a non-squad guest for NJ/NY Gotham FC in a preseason tournament in Colombia.
She is the youngest player to score a goal for a National Women's Soccer League club.
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Whitham's goal comes just a week after she signed a name, image and likeness contract with Nike, making her the youngest women's soccer player and the youngest athlete in any sport to sign an NIL contract.
Before the game, Whitham told ESPN that he had no idea he would get playing time.
But in the 60th minute, Gotham FC head coach Juan Carlos Amorós made the decision to replace the 13-year-old striker with veteran Kelley O'Hara.
Whitham said she was “mentally, physically and emotionally” ready and “activated.”
Seconds before taking the field, Whitham said Amorós told him: “We all believe in you. You've been doing very well in training. Just have fun.”
It was those words, Whitham said, that helped her take the field with minimal nerves and maximum excitement.
Just before scoring, Whitham said she was surprised by the play and her teammates' movements before the goal.
“The back heels, the combos, the passes and the moves,” Whitham said. “I had to be patient. I was calm, ready to put the ball in. But it's also about being patient and knowing and having the confidence to get to the top of the box and finish the ball.”
Whitham added that she feels most comfortable in that space because it is what she practices the most and where she feels she is “deadly.”
Amorós said it was a complicated match with a tough opponent.
“They knew the game plan to make it very difficult for us. But we knew we had to stay calm and the longer the game went on, the more tired they would get,” Amorós said afterwards. “And Mak's goal in the last minute was fantastic because she's obviously a special young player that we decided to give a chance to. We're very happy to see her score the winning goal.”
Gotham heads to the preseason tournament final on Friday night against Racing Louisville after a 1-0 win over Deportivo Cali.
At just THIRTEEN years old, McKenna Whitham put this in the back of the net for Gotham FC 😳 #ThatsW
(🎥 @GothamFC) pic.twitter.com/ipVM9i4BjC
— espnW (@espnW) February 28, 2024
The home-schooled forward will graduate with the class of 2028. Whitham plays for the Southern California team Slammers FC HB Koge and is a member of the United States Under-15 Youth National Team.
Last year, he made a name for himself at the club and national level for his ability to score with either foot outside the 18-yard box.
The 13-year-old said the goal is to eventually turn professional and sign a contract with an NWSL club when the opportunity presents itself.
If she were offered a contract with an NWSL this season, she would become the youngest player in the league, but she would join a growing group of teenagers making an impact there. A total of seven players between the ages of 15 and 19 will participate in the NWSL regular season or Challenge Cup in 2023.
In recent months, Whitham has joined Kansas City Current, Washington Spirit and NJ/NY Gotham FC for preseason workouts and workouts.
