Monica Wright Forest Park 2.jpg

Fans lift Monica Wright onto their shoulders after Forest park's 57-56 victory over the Edison Eagles to become girls stateGroup AAA basketball champions. Dylan Moore photo

Unity Reed High School graduate Tyleik Williams is the latest athlete from Prince William County to be selected in the first round of a professional sports league.

The Detroit Lions selected the Ohio State defensive tackle Thursday night with the 28th pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. Here is a list of the other first-round picks from Prince William County: 

MARK HARRIS

Sport: Baseball

Position: Shortstop

High School: Stonewall Jackson (now known as Unity Reed)

College: Valencia Community College (Fla.)

Selection: Top pick of the New York Yankees in the 1978 regular-phase of the January draft

Playing career: Spent four years in the Yankees’ organization, getting as high as Double-A.

Did you know? Harris is a minor-league coach in the Washington Nationals’ organization

MIKE SULLIVAN

Sport: Baseball

Position: Pitcher

High School: Gar-Field

College: Clemson

Selection: 24th overall pick by the Oakland A’s in 1976 out of Gar-Field; 22nd overall pick by the Cincinnati Reds in 1979 out of Clemson

Playing career: Spent four years in the Reds’ organization, getting as high as Double-A.

Did you know? Sullivan is just one of eight players to have been drafted in the first round out of high school and college since the draft’s inception in 1965.

KENDALL MARSHALL

Sport: Basketball

Position: Point guard

Local connection: Dumfries native who graduated from Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington

College: University of North Carolina

Selection: No. 13 overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2012 NBA Draft.

Playing career: Spent four seasons with four NBA teams (Phoenix, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee and Philadelphia).

Did you know? Marshall won the Bob Cousy award at North Carolina as the nation's top collegiate point guard. 

NANA OPOKU

Sport: Basketball

Position: Forward

High school: Potomac

College: Mount St. Mary’s

Selection: No. 17 overall in the 2023 NBA G League Draft

Playing career: Opoku finished last year playing professional basketball in Argentina 

Did you know? Opoku was the Northeast Conference Defensive Player of the Year for the 2020-21 season and was the conference tournament MVP.

DAVID ROBINSON

Sport: Basketball

Position: Center

High School: Osbourn Park

College: Navy

Selection: No. 1 overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs in the 1987 NBA Draft

Playing career: All with the Spurs, 1989-2003

Did you know? Robinson is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame

MONICA WRIGHT ROGERS

Sport: Basketball

Position: Guard

High School: Forest Park

College: Virginia

Selection: Second overall pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft by the Minnesota Lynx.

Playing career: Wright played seven seasons in the WNBA with two teams (Minnesota and Seattle).

Did you know? Wright is Prince William County’s second all-time leading prep basketball scorer among public school players with 1,913 points. She is also the general manager of the WNBA's newest franchise: The Toronto Raptors. 

C.J. SAPONG

Sport: Soccer

Position: Forward

High School: Forest Park

College: James Madison

Selection: 10th overall pick by Sporting Kansas City in the 2011 MLS Draft

Playing career: Sapong spent 13 seasons in Major League Soccer

Did you know? Sapong is the first first-round selection in the history of JMU men’s soccer program

DAVID STOKES

Sport: Soccer

Position: Defender

High School: Hylton

College: North Carolina

Selection: Fifth overall pick by D.C. United in the 2003 MLS Draft

Playing career: Spent three seasons with D.C. United and two with Carolina of the USL

Did you know? Stokes was the defensive MVP of the College Cup in 2001 in helping lead North Carolina to the national title.

THOMAS RIGNEY

Sport: Lacrosse

Position: Defenseman

High school: Patriot

College: Army

Selections: Fifth overall pick in the 2020 Major Lacrosse League Draft by the Denver Outlaws; fourth overall pick in the 2020 Premier League Lacrosse by the Chrome Lacrosse Club

Did you know? Rigney was a two-time Cedar Run District Player of the Year at Patriot

David Fawcett is the sports editor for InsideNoVa.com. Reach him at dfawcett@insidenova.com

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