Connecticut’s Diana Taurasi and Duke’s Alana Beard led their teams to the Final Four and now have something else to celebrate: Unanimous selections to the women’s basketball AP All-America team.

Kansas State’s Nicole Ohlde, the Big 12 Conference player of the year, was also named to the AP squad.

Mississippi State’s LaToya Thomas and Penn State’s Kelly Mazzante also were picked by the 44-member national media panel that votes on the weekly AP Top 25.

Taurasi and Beard were first-team choices on every ballot for a maximum 220 points. Thomas was the only other player on each ballot, getting 40 first-team votes and 212 points. Ohlde had 151 points, Mazzante 148.

Thomas is a senior; the other four All-Americans are juniors.

Taurasi became UConn’s leader after four seniors graduated from last season’s unbeaten national championship team. Despite a sore back and right ankle, Taurasi led Connecticut (35-1) to its fourth straight appearance in the Final Four.

She led the Huskies in scoring (16.3), rebounding (6.2) and assists (4.6) during the regular season. She has been even better in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 25.8 points and shooting 59 percent.

Beard, a left-hander with a textbook jumper, averaged 21.8 points in the regular season and is Duke’s best defender. She averaged three steals a game and harassed opponents into numerous other turnovers.

Thomas averaged 25.6 points and 8.7 rebounds this season, helping Mississippi State earn its first AP ranking, and leaves with 2,981 career points.

Ohlde needs just seven points in Kansas State’s opener next season to become the school’s career scoring leader. A 6-foot-4 center, Ohlde averaged 18.4 points and nine rebounds and shot 56.5 percent in helping the Wildcats reach the round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.

Mazzante is adept at taking the ball to the basket or shooting from outside (88 three-pointers). She averaged 24.1 points and needs 16 to become the top scorer in Penn State history.