Angel City FC selects Harvard-Westlake's Alyssa Thompson with 1st pick of draft

Alyssa Thompson has a list of accomplishments in soccer already, and she's added one more.

On Thursday, Angel City Football Club selected the Harvard-Westlake forward with the first choice in the National Women's Soccer League draft.

She was called up to the U.S. national women's team in October at the age of 17 - just the seventh 17-year-old to be called up in the national team's history.

Thompson, an 18-year-old forward out of Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles, declared her eligibility for the draft late last week. She initially committed to Stanford.

"It was the most difficult decision I ever had to make in my life," she said. "I think going pro would really help develop my skills and make me a better player."

Thompson made her debut with the U.S. senior team last year while also playing for the under-19 Total Futbol Academy boys' team in MLS NEXT. Thompson and her younger sister Giselle also became the first high school players to sign a name, image and likeness deal with Nike last year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.