Like her team, the preseason perspective on Tennessee's Candace Parker is unequivocal.

The Lady Vols redshirt junior forward was a unanimous selection to the Associated Press' preseason All-America team announced Tuesday.

Parker was on every ballot of the 50-member national media panel. The only previous unanimous selections were former Tennessee star Chamique Holdsclaw, former Connecticut star Diana Taurasi, Alana Beard, who played at Duke, and former LSU standout Seimone Augustus.

Tennessee, the defending national champion, was a unanimous choice as No. 1 Saturday in the preseason AP Top 25 poll.

Parker played against Taurasi and Augustus in UT's exhibition opener against the U.S. national team Sunday at Thompson-Boling Arena, scoring 22 points in an 83-72 loss.

"Hands down the best player in college,'' Taurasi said about Parker after the game. "She's one of the top players in the world."

Parker was joined on the squad by Oklahoma's Courtney Paris, Stanford's Candice Wiggins, LSU's Sylvia Fowles and Maryland's Crystal Langhorne.

Parker will square off against Paris, Wiggins and Fowles during the regular season, beginning with UT's game against Oklahoma Nov. 15 in Tampa, Fla.

Parker sparked the Lady Vols to their seventh national title last April and the national team to a spot in the Beijing Games. She was the top scorer on the U.S. team that won the FIBA Americas tournament in September.

"That's a special group," Parker said. "I wouldn't be who I was without my teammates or coaches support."

Paris came close to a unanimous selection, getting 48 votes. Wiggins drew 43, Fowles 41 and Langhorne 28. Paris and Parker were All-Americans last season. Langhorne, Wiggins and Fowles earned second-team honors.

UT coach Pat Summitt saw Parker, Paris, Wiggins and Fowles play with the U.S. national team this fall.

"I thought just watching them play, they are impact players on their respective teams," she said. "They did some amazing things for the U.S. team."

The four have known each other for years, playing on various U.S. teams. Their friendship was evident in a discussion with the AP at the national team training camp.

"We've been friends for a long time," Wiggins said. "I've know Courtney since freshman year in high school and I've know Candace forever and Syl, too."

When they aren't facing each other on the court, the four always check out how the others are doing.

"I'm a fan of our game," Paris said. "It's hard not to follow everyone's career. The media does such a good job. It's easy to pop on the TV, or open up the newspaper and follow them."

Paris, Parker, Langhorne and Wiggins were all preseason All-Americans last year.

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.