Who is Mak Whitham? All about the youngest player to debut in the NWSL at the age of 14

Mak Whitham created history by becoming the youngest player to debut in the NWSL at the age of 14 years and 8 months. The American soccer player made her debut for Gotham FC in their match against the Seattle Reign FC at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington.

Whitham made her debut in the 92nd minute of the match and etched her name in the history books. The record for being the youngest player to debut in the NWSL was initially held by Cavan Sullivan who was over 14 years and 9 months old.

The youngster's debut was widely celebrated on social media with the official X handle of the National Women's soccer league posting a video of the prestigious moment and extending the heartfelt wishes.

"Milestone moment 💫 The youngest player in NWSL history is @MakWhitham, debuting for @GothamFC at 14 years, 8 months old!" read the caption.

When was Mak Whitham born?

Mak Whitham was born on July 27, 2010, and grew up in Granite Bay, California.

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Who are Mak Whitham's parents

Mak Whitham was born to Josh and Joni Whitham, who have homeschooled the youngster to pursue her dream of becoming a soccer player as it helps in having a flexible schedule to cater to training sessions. Her father, Josh, was a part of the University of Utah's Ski Team and even served as an alternate for the US Ski Team in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.

He spoke to the Los Angeles Times last year and revealed how they have been trying their best to support her.

"My job is to make sure that as long as she’s having fun, and if she wants to do it, that she has the opportunity to do it. Then it’s up to her to prove herself. All I care about is that she’s following her dreams and that she wants to do it. My goal is just to be here to support her,” Josh said.

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Mak Whitham's NWSL career

Mak Whitham received the opportunity to train as a non-roster invite in many clubs of the NWSL, which included the Kansas City Current, NJ/NY Gotham FC, and Washington Spirit at the age of 13 in the 2024 pre-season. Moreover, she signed a Name, Image, Likeness contract with Nike in February 2024 and became the youngest athlete to sign a professional deal with the multi-billion dollar conglomerate

Mak Whitham continued to train with the NWSL team as a non-roster invite for several months. The Gothams announced in July 2024 that they had signed a four-year contract with her that would be effective from January 1, 2025.

She spoke to ESPN about signing her first professional contract and said:

"I processed it, and it's still new to me But, I mean, I'm not going to be cocky about it. I'm going to stay humble, and I'm still going to keep developing. My goal is to be a top player in the NWSL, and I know that Gotham will help me become that player."

Whitham expressed her elation on receiving such a huge opportunity and hoped to put forward great performances in the professional league.