A couple of readying bounces, some instruction from Gotham FC head coach Juan Carlos Amorós followed by an encouraging handshake and smile.
Those were the moments late Saturday night before forward Mak Whitham, 14, became the youngest player in NWSL history, coming on for World Cup champion Esther in the final minutes of Gotham’s 1-1 draw with Seattle Reign.
Whitham told ESPN afterward that her coach had said, “Enjoy the game and just be you.”
The teenager played roughly seven minutes of stoppage time, some of which was due to a red card shown to Gotham’s Mandy Freeman for tackling Nérilia Mondésir in the 87th minute. Her teammate Gabi Portilho scored the opener in the 47th minute, only to be equalized by Reign’s Emeri Adames in the 71st minute.
“Mak has worked incredibly hard at training and has earned this opportunity,” Amorós said, noting the importance of the moment.
Last year, on the eve of her 14th birthday, Whitham became the youngest player to sign with an NWSL team. The then-13-year-old inked a four-year guaranteed contract with Gotham that took effect Jan. 1 and runs through 2028. She was the first player Gotham signed using the league’s U18 Entry Mechanism, which was established in 2022 after Olivia Moultrie sued the NWSL for her right to play as an under-18 player. Moultrie went pro at 13 but could not sign with her club, the Portland Thorns, until she turned 15, making her professional debut July 3, 2021.
Players signed to the U18 mechanism cannot be waived or traded by their club until they turn 18 unless they have parental or guardian consent. Players must also live with a parent or guardian until their 18th birthday. Along with other stipulations from the league, including those about housing and tuition, Gotham will have to monitor New Jersey state law. The law in New Jersey, where Gotham plays its home games, prevents 14- and 15-year-olds from working past 7 p.m. during the school year. That can be extended to 9 p.m. in the summer with parental permission.
Whitham is no stranger to Gotham. She has already scored for the Bats.
Last year, Whitham tallied her first goal against Deportivo Cali in added time at the Women’s Cup in Colombia. It was her first time in a professional environment and followed two weeks of preseason camp as one of three under-18, non-roster invitees with Gotham. She previously trained with the Kansas City Current and Washington Spirit and was invited to train with LAFC MLS Next’s 2010 Boys Academy team last year.
“I’ve always kind of been playing up at a high level, so I’ve just been motivated to be the best and just give 100 percent effort. And, I mean, just because they’re older, it doesn’t scare me,” Whitham told The Athletic last year.
In addition to her firsts with NWSL, Whitham was also the youngest women’s soccer player to sign an NIL deal with Nike, joining the likes of Caitlin Clark and Angel City’s Alyssa and Gisele Thompson. Even amid all of Whitham’s history-making, Gotham says it remains focused on doing what’s best for the player, too.
“We would never bring a player into our environment who isn’t ready, mentally and physically, to train like every other player here, and Mak not just fit right in but has been a great contributor to the group,” Yael Averbuch West, Gotham’s general manager and head of soccer operations, said last year. “(She has) consistency in terms of her technical execution under pressure, (her) tactical understanding, and she has some really amazing physical talents that make her an exciting prospect. So, we feel like she has the full picture, in addition to a really great mindset.”
(Photo: Vincent Carchietta / Imagn Images)
