Whitney Engen

Pali Blues, 2009

On April 16, 2009, Engen and North Carolina teammate Ashlyn Harris signed with the Pali Blues of the W-League. The W-League was often used by college players as a summer playing option because of its status as an open league, allowing college players to maintain eligibility. The Pali Blues went undefeated in the regular season and then went on to win the W-League Championship with a 2–1 win over Washington Freedom in the final.

Chicago Red Stars, 2010

On January 15, 2010, Engen was drafted fourth overall to the Chicago Red Stars of Women's Professional Soccer in the 2010 WPS Draft. Engen appeared in all 24 games for Red Stars in the regular season and played all but four minutes for the team. The Red Stars finished sixth in the 2010 WPS season and did not advance to the playoffs.

Western New York Flash, 2011

In December 2010, the Western New York Flash, previously part of the W-League, joined the WPS for the 2011 season. Shortly after, Engen signed with the team. She played in 17 of the team's 18 regular season games to help the Flash finish first in the regular season and advance to the playoffs. Engen appeared in the 2011 WPS Championship on August 27, 2011, against the Philadelphia Independence. The game was tied 1–1 after regulation and extra time, leaving the outcome of the match to be decided by penalty kicks. The Flash won the championship after goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris blocked the shot by Philadelphia's Laura del Rio.…

Senior national team

First caps, 2010–12

Engen received her first call up to the United States women's national team in March 2010 for a training camp that included two matches against Mexico on March 28 and 31. She was then called into a training camp in September leading into two matches against China on October 2 and 6. Engen was not named to the roster for the 2010 CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualifying tournament and did not return to the national team until early 2011. Engen returned to the national team in 2011 for a six-day training camp at Home Depot Center in Carson, California, from January 8 to 13. Engen then joined the national team for a 32-player training camp in Florida that took place from February 3 to 9 in preparation for the 2011 Algarve Cup. Following the camp, Engen was named to the 23-player roster for the Algarve Cup. Engen made her first appearance for the national team in the second match of the Algarve Cup on March 4 against Norway. She came in for Ali Krieger in the 78th minute to help the United States defeat Norway 2–0. Engen also made an appearance during the team's final group match against Finland on March 7. The United States went on to win the 2011 Algarve Cup title after a 4–2 win over Iceland in the final. From April 18 to May 6, Engen joined the national team for a three-week training camp in Florida. Following the training camp, the 21-player roster for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup was released and Engen was not a…

Engen is a strong defender in one-on-one situations and has stated that she believes this to be her strongest asset. In addition, she is known for her "commanding presence in the middle of the field and as a fine aerial threat for headers on set pieces."

Born in Torrance, California, to parents Chris and Kim Engen, Whitney was raised with her brother, Taylor. Although Engen aspired to be a gymnast, her tall stature limited her ability to do gymnastics. Instead, she switched to soccer. Growing up, her family was also very competitive and encouraged friendly competitions between her and her brother.Engen played club soccer growing up, ending her youth career with Slammers FC (SFC) in Newport Beach. Her previous team did not give her playing time, leading her to switch to SFC, joining future national teammate Christen Press. While with SFC, the team won back-to-back state and regional championships in 2004 and 2005. The team also appeared in national championships during those years, taking second in 2004 and third in 2005. During her youth career, Engen also played with the '86 Olympic Development Program team that clinched regional and national titles. Engen attended Palos Verdes Peninsula High School in Rolling Hills Estates, California, where she played varsity soccer during her freshman and sophomore years. She played two years of varsity soccer as a forward and attacking midfielder. She did not play during her junior year due to an injury and opted to concentrate on club soccer during senior year and did not play with her high school team. She was also named the Most Valuable Offensive Player as a freshman and Most Valuable Player as a sophomore. Engen graduated high school on June 15, 2006, and Soccer Buzz ranked her…