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Charlotte Gibson, ESPN
Nike has signed 13-year-old soccer phenom McKenna “Mak” Whitham to a name, image and likeness deal. Whitham becomes the youngest women’s soccer player and youngest athlete in any sport to sign an NIL deal with Nike.
“It means everything to me,” Whitham told ESPN. “I’m just super excited to be part of the Nike family. They’ve done so many great things so far. And it motivates me even harder. I mean, not every kid gets to get signed by Nike.”
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Nike and Whitham started discussions about signing a deal at the start of 2024.
Whitham joins an elite group of Nike NIL athletes that includes USC women’s soccer player Simone Jackson and basketball players Bronny James and Juju Watkins, Iowa point guard Caitlin Clark and many more.
The forward, who is home schooled, will graduate with the class of 2028. Whitham plays for the Southern California club team Slammers FC HB Koge and is a member of the U.S. under-15 youth national team.
This past year, she made a name for herself at the club and national level by her ability to score with either foot outside the 18-yard box. And professional teams, in addition to brands like Nike, took notice.
Over the last few months, Whitham joined numerous National Women’s Soccer League teams including Kansas City Current, Washington Spirit and NJ/NY Gotham FC for preseason workouts and trainings.
“It’s extremely humbling, but at the same time it’s a little bit validation that when you have a goal in mind and if you work hard enough, you can get there and it validates it all,” Whitham’s father, Josh, told ESPN about his daughter practicing with NWSL teams and signing with Nike.