Sports
Meet McKenna Whitham, Gotham FC's 13-year-old trainee
McKenna Whitham scored against Deportivo Cali in added time at the Women’s Cup in Colombia in February, finding her footing in a sea of defenders and tucking the ball away to send Gotham FC to the finals of the four-day preseason tournament.
The goal was the 13-year-old’s first in a professional environment, and it came after weeks of preseason training with the NWSL defending champions. Whitham, who goes by Mak, was unfazed.
“It’s just been spectacular,” she told The Athletic following her preseason debut. “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% effort, and, I mean, just because they’re older, it doesn’t scare me.”
The teen has made a name for herself already, garnering headlines for being the youngest women’s soccer player to sign an NIL deal with Nike. In doing so, she joined a roster filled with well-established college stars, like Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, and followed the path forged by Angel City’s Alyssa and Gisele Thompson, who in 2022 became the first high schoolers to sign an NIL deal with the sportswear giant.
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Whitham continued training with Gotham as the team prepared for its 2024 season and, on the eve of the Challenge Cup, was back at Red Bull Arena. Dressed in the team’s warm-up kit, she trained alongside her veteran teammates, joining World Cup winner Esther Gonzalez in a drill. Whitham’s passes were clean, with lots of power behind them. When coaches stopped a drill to instruct her, she quickly adjusted.
Whitham was one of three under-18, non-roster invitees asked to join the team for preseason training, which kicked off at IMG Academy in Florida in February and continued in Colombia for the Women’s Cup. Though she practiced with the team ahead of the Challenge Cup, she was in the stands for Gotham’s 1-0 defeat by San Diego Wave.
Whitham, however, was with Gotham during the postgame ceremony and though Whitham did not travel to Gotham’s season opener in Portland, she rejoined the team again this month. A Gotham FC spokesperson confirmed to The Athletic Whitham has since continued with the team as a training player.
A Gotham FC spokesperson told The Athletic ahead of the Challenge Cup that Whitham was welcome to join the team for training. At that time, the team had 25 active players and one player on an excused absence. With veteran forward Midge Purce suffering a season-ending ACL injury last week, the team can call up a player in her absence.
Ever since a young Olivia Moultrie forced her way onto the pitch in 2021, a youth movement has been underway in the league. It gained more steam last year when the league introduced a U-18 entry mechanism, creating a structured path for young players who want to go pro.
Though Whitham has not yet publicly signed with an NWSL team, her preseason debut with Gotham signals her potential to become one of the youngest players to sign a professional contract in the U.S. That distinction currently belongs to Melanie Barcenas, who last year signed with San Diego Wave at 15 years and 138 days old.
“There’s so many great teams out there and so many young players as well,” Whitham said. “But I have the thought and the mindset to just be the best and, like, try amazing things and just break all the records and goals. I’ve always just wanted that.”
Whitham has joined Gotham FC in preseason and in training. (Gotham FC)
Whitham, who turns 14 on July 27, is homeschooled and part of the Class of 2028. The California native plays for Slammers FC HB Køge, a competitive club in the southern part of the state, and is a member of the U.S. Under-15 youth national team. Whitham has trained with NWSL clubs, including Gotham, the Kansas City Current and Washington Spirit. She was also recently invited to train with LAFC MLS Next’s 2010 Boys Academy team.
Yael Averbuch West, Gotham’s general manager and head of soccer operations, said the club had set its eyes on Whitham when it began keeping tabs on promising young players after the U-18 entry rule was established.
“‘Mak’ is a name that had been on our radar and brought up to us previously,” she said. “Approaching preseason, we recognized that we had the opportunity for players who are not currently on contract with our team to come in with our group so that we could evaluate them and see them in our environment.”
The club knew Whitham had been in the preseason with other clubs, Averbuch West said, meaning she had some experience in the professional world already. Whitham’s age was an important consideration when evaluating her.
“That’s important,” Averbuch West said. “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. (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.”
It’s typical for young players to join NWSL clubs during preseason windows. For Gotham this year, this was a valuable resource, especially with so many players – including Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnett, Crystal Dunn and Tierna Davidson – absent from training for national team duty or recovering from injury. The club even tapped Heather O’Reilly, 39, who trained with the club this preseason in a player-coach role.
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“For us, it’s very important to have young talent coming into the setup,” Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós said in a call with reporters, adding how Gotham considered bringing in collegiate talent, too. “It’s very difficult when the national team takes away seven of your players, and you need to fill the team with other players for five weeks or six weeks in preseason, and there are certain rules that you need to stick to that you really can’t break.”
Clubs are also navigating a fast-changing professional landscape, where more and more young players are forgoing collegiate play altogether.
In early March, for example, Angel City signed Kennedy Fuller, a former University of North Carolina commit, just days before her 17th birthday. Fuller joined fellow teenager Casey Phair, who in July became the youngest player to debut in a World Cup. Phair only played one season of high school soccer before she debuted professionally.
Whitham is also likely to follow a similar path, telling The Athletic, “I will not be doing high school soccer, and pro has just been my focus – no college. I’ve always wanted to go pro – and getting that goal (in the Women’s Cup) was nice to know that I can hang in there and just be around those professional players.”
These young players continue to break records. During the NWSL’s opening weekend, Kansas City Current’s Alex Pfeiffer became the youngest goal scorer in NWSL history in the team’s inaugural match at its new stadium. At 16 years, 3 months and 20 days old, Pfeiffer beat the previous record set by Moultrie in 2022 by about five months.
These moments were possible thanks to Moultrie, who paved the way for the NWSL’s U-18 entry mechanism. The NWSL forbade players under 18 from entering the league until Moultrie sued for her right to play.
The U-18 entry mechanism, modified ahead of this season, establishes a non-public, U-18 entry list that is maintained by the NWSL. Teams are allowed only four U-18 players between the list and their roster, and these players would occupy a full roster spot. Players on the list are not tradable, and the entry list spots are also not tradeable.
Including a player on the entry list comes with stringent requirements: a player can only be added with parent or guardian consent; a player on the list must be signed to a guaranteed contract within 30 days of list placement; and any awarded contract must run, at a minimum, through the season that player turns 18.
Any U-18 players on a roster also are subject to other rules. These players cannot be waived or traded by a club until the player turns 18, unless with the player and parent or guardian consent. Loans for these players are also approved on a case-by-case basis by the league, and players must live with a parent or guardian until their 18th birthday.
There are also outlines for things such as providing U-18 players with housing, tuition or tutoring, as well as other guidelines for minors in the league. If Gotham were to sign Whitham or any player under 16 years old, they would also have to navigate a New Jersey law that prevents 14 and 15-year-olds from working past 7 p.m. The rule has proven to be an issue for the New York Red Bulls this season, who were forced to sideline homegrown forward Julian Zakrzewski Hall until the team had a midday game.
Whitham’s father was with the 13-year-old in Colombia. Averbuch West said the club was very intentional about checking in with her to better understand her unique needs.
“Mak is clearly very ready, not just to handle this level, but to excel in our sessions,” Averbuch West said. “But at the same time, there are different considerations for players of all different ages, and, especially a young player, when it comes to making sure we’re educating on nutrition, on physical development, when we’re in the gym, on mental development and mental performance. Because of her age, we have a specific lens that we do that with.”
Whether Whitham’s future is with Gotham remains to be seen. Any contract she signs would have to run through the 2028 season.
“Each step along the way, we decided, ‘okay, now it makes sense for us to continue this journey together,’” Averbuch West said. “And, obviously, anyone who’s in our environment, if they can help our team win, we’re always evaluating what part they can play in our team’s success.”
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All eyes were on Caitlin Clark on Wednesday night as she made her anticipated return from injury in a road matchup in Los Angeles.
But instead of a triumphant comeback, the Fever spent the entire night chasing the Sparks as Clark’s rough return fueled a 106-92 rout.
The superstar never found a groove, looking completely out of sync in her return from a back injury.
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Caitlin Clark huddles with teammates as the Indiana Fever battle the Sparks. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) ((Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images))
Much of that disjointed performance falls squarely on head coach Stephanie White, who kept Clark on a ridiculously tight leash by limiting her to just 16 minutes. The stop-and-go approach could have sabotaged any chance for the phenom to establish a rhythm.
Clark finished with just 9 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Her minus-16 plus-minus told the story.
The Los Angeles Sparks were severely shorthanded, taking the floor without stars Kelsey Plum and Cameron Brink.
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Yet while a depleted Sparks roster played to win, Indiana spent the night over-managing its biggest asset.
With Clark on a minutes restriction and Aliyah Boston out of the lineup, Kelsey Mitchell was forced to shoulder the entire offensive burden.
Mitchell did her part, pouring in 29 points while shooting 5-of-9 from beyond the arc.
Caitlin Clark orchestrates the Fever offense as Indiana battles the Los Angeles Sparks in primetime action. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) ((Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images))
But one hot hand couldn’t stop an efficient LA squad.
The Sparks shot 45% from three-point range, going 9-of-20 from deep to cruise to the 106-92 victory.
White’s next move is to sit Clark against the Mercury on Thursday while Boston returns.
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After Wednesday’s loss to a shorthanded Sparks team, it’s fair to question whether Indiana’s cautious approach is working. The Fever dropped to 12-9.
Caitlin Clark and Dearica Hamby face off as Fever and Sparks battle at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. (Photo by Tyler Ross/NBAE via Getty Images) ((Photo by Tyler Ross/NBAE via Getty Images))
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Mookie Betts’ first hit this series against the Rockies couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. With the crack of the ball against his bat, Tommy Edman scored from third, giving the Dodgers the lead.
And as Betts reached first, he pointed to Freddie Freeman, whose single put Edman in scoring position. It had taken a team effort to overcome another middling start from Roki Sasaki, and Betts, who had little to show before his game-winning hit, took the chance to highlight the joint contribution in the Dodgers’ 4-3 rubber-match win over Colorado (38-56).
“It feels great,” Betts said of his nine-pitch battle. “Helping the boys win, that’s really all it is. We play the game to win, and coming through in a big moment is kind of what, when you’re a kid, playing in the backyard, getting that hit is what you always strive to do, and fortunately, I was able to do it.”
Given a three-run lead in the first inning, brought to the Dodgers by a wild pitch and Kyle Tucker’s two-run, line-drive single to left field, Sasaki seemed set up for success.
Still, he gave away the lead as quickly as it came. In the second inning, he left a fastball too far over the plate, and third baseman Kyle Karros drove the ball over the left-center wall. The slider he dealt two batters later to second baseman Edouard Julien also crossed the zone too far over the plate, and Julien rounded the bases with another homer. In the third, a sacrifice fly by Mickey Moniak evened the scored, 3-3.
Sasaki’s troubles this season have been hard to pin down since his last win on May 23, as Sasaki tries to claw back the triple-digit velocity that’s escaped him as of late.
Against the Rockies, his fastball topped out at 99.1 miles per hour before steadily dropping to 98. He had managed five strikeouts in his six innings when manager Dave Roberts replaced him with Jack Dreyer, though the three earned runs couldn’t be ignored.
But Roberts also acknowledged the possibility that the pitcher had been tipping his pitches, possibly since he was playing in Japan, and Sasaki has tried to address it after a three-inning, six-run start last week. Even if he had fully self-corrected, his control issues remain. In the third inning, he walked the tying runner, Brett Sullivan.
“I’ve been working on a lot of things like the tipping stuff,” Sasaki said through interpreter Kensuke Okubo. “Also, I need to make quality pitches.”
Sasaki regained some of his confidence in the fourth when he worked out of a two-base jam with two strikeouts and a flyball to right, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Roberts.
“You can see the demeanor walking off the mound, the confidence,” Roberts said. “For me, it was more of let him end on a high note, feeling good about his outing, and then go from there.”
The Dodgers’ problems were compounded by Alex Call wasting the team’s two challenges in his at-bat in the first inning when the team had already taken the lead. And maybe it would’ve been excusable if Call had driven in the runners on first and second, but instead he ended the inning on a strikeout, stranding both. Roberts called the situation an “outlier” and didn’t feel as though he needed to have a conversation with Call regarding the situation.
After the three-run first, the Dodgers (61-33) remained hitless until Max Muncy laced a double down the right-field line in the sixth, though to little avail. As the innings ticked forward, Colorado’s chances seemed to increase. The Rockies hold the best league batting average (.297) in the eighth and ninth innings (the Dodgers are fourth with .268). And the Dodgers relievers, within the same constraints, have a 3.83 ERA — not bad, but not in the top 10 either.
Third baseman Max Muncy can’t get his glove on a line-drive double by Kyle Karros in the fourth inning.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
So when Alex Vesia struggled against the Rockies in the eighth inning and Muncy suffered a throwing error, Colorado seemed in position to score with the bases loaded and one out. Vesia struck out TJ Rumfield and Edgardo Henriquez (4-0), his replacement, retired Karros on a fly ball to right.
After Betts’ single allowed the Dodgers to take the lead, Tanner Scott (13) shut down the Rockies with back-to-back strikeouts, avoiding the team’s eighth series loss of the season.
“Didn’t feel great,” Roberts said. “Fortunately, we won a series, but that’s not the kind of way you want to do it.”
Sports
Justin Verlander announces he will retire after this season: ‘I’ve realized that time has come’
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One of the greatest pitchers in the history of baseball will be hanging up his cleats after this season.
Three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander announced on Wednesday that the 2026 season will be his last.
Amid an injury-riddled season with the Detroit Tigers, Verlander decided it’s time to go.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander watches from the dugout during a game against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park in Detroit June 21, 2026. (David Rodriguez-Munoz/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
“This season has challenged me in ways I haven’t experienced before, both physically and mentally. I’ve always believed that as long as I could compete at the level I expect of myself, I’d keep playing. I never wanted to retire because of a milestone, a number, or a date on the calendar. I wanted the game to tell me when it was time. Over the last several months, I’ve realized that time has come,” Verlander said in a social media post.
“While I’m fully committed to giving my team everything I have for the rest of this season, I’ve decided this will be my last. It’s fitting that I get to finish where it all started – with the Detroit Tigers, the organization that drafted me and gave me my first opportunity.”
Verlander inked a one-year deal with the Tigers, with whom he spent his first 12½ seasons before being traded to the Houston Astros, in the offseason. In Houston, he returned to dominance, winning both of his World Series titles and two of his Cy Young Awards.
“Baseball has given me more than I could have imagined. It taught me discipline, resilience, and the value of continuing to adapt and evolve. I’ve been fortunate to play with and against incredible players, for outstanding organizations, and compete in-front of fans who deeply appreciate the game,” Verlander added in his announcement.
Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros celebrates after the Astros defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 of the 2022 World Series at Minute Maid Park Nov. 5, 2022, in Houston, Texas. (Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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“To every teammate, coach, player, clubhouse attendant, and fan who has been part of this journey – thank you. It’s been a privilege to share the field with you. To my family, especially my wife Kate, thank you for standing beside me through every season, every rehab, and every high and low. I couldn’t have done this without you. It’s time for the next chapter. But first, I’m excited to finish this season the only way I know how – with everything I’ve got.”
Verlander is the active leader with 3,554 strikeouts, which is good for eighth all-time. He needs 21 to surpass Don Sutton and 87 to pass Tom Seaver.
The 43-year-old made his MLB debut in 2005 and won the American League Rookie of the Year Award the following season in what was just a small glimpse of what was to come.
Verlander was a Cy Young Award finalist on four other occasions, consistently near the top of the leaderboard in just about every pitching stat. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred gave Verlander a legend’s exemption to this year’s Midsummer Classic, making him a 10-time All-Star.
One could argue that Verlander should have at least one more Cy Young Award on his mantle, but he is on the fast track to Cooperstown and very much in the conversation to join Mariano Rivera as the only player unanimously elected to the Hall of Fame.
Verlander’s best season came in 2022, when he pitched to a career-best 1.75 ERA along with a 0.829 WHIP. However, that came after he missed the entire 2021 season due to Tommy John surgery for an injury he suffered after pitching just one inning in the abbreviated 2020 season.
Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander throws against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning Aug. 22, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)
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He won his first Cy Young Award in 2011, when he was also awarded the MVP Award, and his second in 2019. Verlander’s 11 seasons between his first and final Cy Young Awards are the second-most behind Roger Clemens, who had 18 seasons between his first and seventh.
Verlander led the majors in innings and WHIP four times while recording the most strikeouts in three seasons.
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