Mak Whitham, 14, became the youngest player in NWSL history to appear in a regular-season match, during NJ/NY Gotham FC's season opener against Seattle Reign on Saturday night.
The Gotham FC forward took the pitch at Lumen Field in Seattle as a substitute in the third minute of second-half stoppage.
"Standing on the sideline and waiting to get on the pitch was pretty exciting. I wanted to be out there and was ready," Whitham said to ESPN. "But what was even better was when Coach Juan [Carlos Amors] came up to me and said, 'Enjoy the game and just be you.' And that was what I did."
Gotham drew their season opener 1-1 against Reign, after Gabi Portilho's opener was canceled out by Emeri Adame in the second-half. The visitors were reduced to 10 players after Mandy Freeman received a red card for a tackle on Nrilia Mondsir
"I just went in there to work really hard to make an impact and to help my team close out the game," Whitham said.
It isn't the first time in her short career that Whitham has made history. She became the youngest signing in NWSL history after penning a contract through 2028 with Gotham last year. At the age of 13, she became the youngest women's soccer player and youngest athlete in any sport to sign a name, image and likeness deal with Nike.
Whitham's contract didn't go into effect until Jan. 1, 2025. Through the NWSL's Under-18 entry mechanism, Whitham signed with Gotham without having to go through the league's draft. The NWSL's U18 mechanism was introduced during the 2023 season and enforces requirements for younger players including additional provisions around pediatric medical evaluations, facilities and safety assessments and long-term development plans.
Additionally, all Under-18 players must live with a parent or guardian in the NWSL team's market. There are currently over a dozen under-18 players on rosters for the 2025 NWSL season. Throughout 2024, Whitham trained with Gotham as a non-roster invitee.
After joining the team in Florida for preseason, Whitham earned herself a spot with the team to Colombia for a preseason tournament in February 2024. During the match, the then 13-year-old scored the lone goal in a 1-0 victory over Colombia's Deportivo Cali and helped Gotham advance to win the tournament.
The match against Reign was her fourth appearance for the club since making her professional debut against Washington Spirit in last year's NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. Her 10-minute cameo against Spirit made her the youngest player to appear for a United States top-flight professional team in both the men's and women's game.
"It's been a dream come true what I've been doing, and I'm really proud of myself to have done it," Whitham told ESPN. "But I still have many things in my future, and I know I can do it."
Next week, Gotham returns home to Sports Illustrated Stadium for its home opener against reigning NWSL champion Orlando Pride. Whitham said she's excited to see Gotham's fanbase and hopefully take the pitch on her home turf for the first time as a professional.
"If my number is called to go in, I'll try to make an impact to help my team," Whitham said.
