McKenna “Mak” Whitham, the 13-year-old child soccer prodigy, is the latest sensation to make her mark by signing a Name, Image, and Likeness, NIL, deal with top athletic footwear and apparel corporation, Nike.
Whitham, at such a young age, is considered an incredible talent, one that is seen very few times in a generation. She is also a part of the Under-15 United States National Team. The prominent forward also plays for Slammers FC HB Koge.
With the deal, she joins the exclusive club of NIL athletes, which includes collegiate basketball stars Caitlin Clark of the Iowa Hawkeyes and Juju Watkins of USC. The corporation had also signed US Women’s National Team member Alyssa Thompson. The midfielder also plays for Angel City FC.
According to ESPN, the child sensation shared, “It means everything to me. 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.”
The forward also shared about her partnership on her Instagram account. Her message of acknowledgment stated, “Thankful and excited to join the Nike Football family! Being a Nike girl from Day 1, it truly is a dream come true.”
Nike has signed 13-year-old U.S. U-15 National Team soccer star McKenna “Mak” Whitham to an NIL deal.
She's the youngest athlete in any sport to sign an NIL deal with Nike. pic.twitter.com/LoEnq3odON
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) February 19, 2024
According to Front Office Sports, “Nike has signed 13-year-old U.S. U-15 National Team soccer star McKenna “Mak” Whitham to an NIL deal. She’s the youngest athlete in any sport to sign an NIL deal with Nike.”
Slammers FC HB Køge star McKenna Whitham becomes the youngest athlete ever to sign an NIL deal with Nike. Congratulations McKenna!@slammersfc | #LeadersPlayHere pic.twitter.com/KcFfO3aOgr
— ECNL Girls (@ECNLgirls) February 17, 2024
As per ECNL, “Slammers FC HB Køge star McKenna Whitham becomes the youngest athlete ever to sign an NIL deal with Nike. Congratulations McKenna!”
A huge congratulations to McKenna "Mak" Whitham from our Slammers FC HB Køge ECNL Girls U15 team, who has become the youngest ever Nike Name/Image/Likeness (NIL) signee in any sport. She joins SFC alum Simone Jackson as one of a handful of soccer players signed to Nike NIL deals. pic.twitter.com/hBm8FMMYTX
— Slammers Futbol Club (@slammersfc) February 16, 2024
The Slammers Futbol Club also stated, “A huge congratulations to McKenna “Mak” Whitham from our Slammers FC HB Køge ECNL Girls U15 team, who has become the youngest ever Nike Name/Image/Likeness (NIL) signee in any sport. She joins SFC alum Simone Jackson as one of a handful of soccer players signed to Nike NIL deals.”
According to ESPN, Whitham has also joined National Women’s Soccer League teams for training and workouts, and these clubs are the Washington Spirit, Kansas City Current, and NJ/NY Gotham FC.
