At 13, American youth soccer star McKenna “Mak” Whitham is now the youngest athlete in any sport to sign a NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deal with the iconic shoe and sportswear brand.
The US U15 international, who plays for Southern California team Slammers FC, gained attention over the past year, earning preseason workout and training invites from NWSL teams including Washington Spirit and Sinead Farrelly’s NJ/NY Gotham FC.
“It means everything to me,” ESPN quotes the young forward as saying. 
“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.”
Whitham joins such greats as Caitlin Clark, who just set the NCAA all-time scoring record in women’s basketball, and teenage Thompson sisters Alyssa and Gisele. Alyssa was the number one pick in the 2023 NWSL draft.
Beyond NIL deals, Nike is known for partnering with such legendary athletes as Sam Kerr, Serena Williams, and Simone Biles — though the latter famously left the brand in 2021 after a series of scandals regarding the company’s treatment of female employees.
Whitham, who is homeschooled, will graduate in 2028.