Mohegan — Monday, forward Jordan Hooper was waived by the Dallas Wings.

Wednesday, Cooper was claimed by the Connecticut Sun.

Friday, Hooper made Connecticut’s 12-player roster as a reserve.

And that perfectly sums up the Sun. They are a work in progress.

The Sun hope their young roster can snap a four-year WNBA playoff drought. They begin season No. 15 at Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday night when they play host to the Atlanta Dream (7 p.m.)

“We’re talking more outspokenly about wanting to be a playoff team this year,” Connecticut head coach and general manager Curt Miller said, “but we also know that only can happen if a lot of things go right for us with health. It doesn’t help that we didn’t have (guard) Alex (Bentley) in training camp (ankle injury). It doesn’t help that (post) Morgan (Tuck) fell in New York (in Sunday’s preseason game) and came up a little bit lame. It doesn’t help that (guard) Courtney Williams twisted her ankle in practice (Friday).

“You live and die with every one of those situations, and this team has to have a good stretch of luck when it comes to health to have what we’d term a successful season.”

Good luck has generally been a stranger to Connecticut, even when it was one of the WNBA’s premiere franchises. Its latest misfortune happened in November when post Chiney Ogwumike, the Sun's best overall player, suffered a season-ending left Achilles tendon injury playing in China.

The Sun are once again one of the WNBA’s youngest teams (their average age is 25, with five players 23-and-under). Alyssa Thomas (forward) and Bentley (guard) have the most tenure in just their fourth year with the team.

Oh, yeah — Connecticut will play 8 of its first 12 games on the road.

Despite it all, Sun point guard Jasmine Thomas believes in her team.

“What gives me the most faith is everyone’s mindset and positivity,” Thomas said. “I feel like a lot of players have come back even better than last year, and that’s definitely what you want from young players. ... You can see where people have matured.

“Having such a tough schedule so early is going to really test us and make us be even better, I think. Instead of having that time to kind of come into the season slowly, we have to be focused right away.”

Miller, in his second season, is looking to bring consistency to a franchise that’s had a revolving door of late. He also looks forward to another year with their core group — guard Rachel Banham (the fourth overall pick last season), post Jonquel Jones (the 2016 sixth overall pick), Tuck (last year’s third overall pick), Williams (the eighth overall pick in 2018), Bentley, and the Thomases.

The Sun traded for veteran post Lynetta Kizer, drafted center Brionna Jones with the eighth overall pick in April, and added free agent post Danielle Adams, a 2011 All-Star in her rookie season.

Connecticut doesn’t have a proven go-to player, but Miller believes they can get by.

“It’s nice to have a go-to player in a tough situation,” Miller said, “but I think when you have multiple players score between 15 and eight, you have a chance to be successful.

“We’ll miss Chiney’s length, her consistency, and her positive attitude through the highs-and-lows of a WNBA season. We’ll miss that, and we’re not the most athletic team.”

The Sun finalized their final 12-woman roster Friday by waiving veteran reserve Kelly Faris, rookie Jessica January, and Adaora Elonu. Faris, the former UConn star, had been a defensive catalyst during her four seasons.

“It was really difficult,” Miller said about cutting Faris. “She’s obviously has meant so much to the organization and the entire state. I truly appreciate that she plays the game the right way. She plays hard. She’s the first one to practice every single day. Those intangibles are really difficult to lose. ... I told Kelly that we may bring her back if someone else doesn’t pick her up.”

• The Sun will honor the four 2016-17 CIAC girls' basketball champions, including New London, and the Quinnipiac women’s basketball team prior to Saturday's game.

n.griffen@theday.com