Mohegan — On paper, this shouldn’t be happening.

The Connecticut Sun were 0-fer four games into the regular season. They’re down two starters, three if you include post Chiney Ogwumike, who suffered a season-ending injury during the preseason. They’ve had to move players to different positions. They had to sign two players last week to fill roster holes. And they’re so, so young.

All that written, look who's won four of their last five games.

Second-year guard Courtney Williams had 22 points and six rebounds and Alyssa Thomas did a lot of everything as the Sun snapped a nine-game losing streak to the New York Liberty on Wednesday night, 96-76, before 4,818 at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Connecticut (4-5) has won three straight. That includes ending an eight-game losing streak to the Atlanta Dream last Saturday, 104-71.

This shouldn’t be happening.

But it is.

“It’s not going to be like this every game as far as the margin we’re winning by,” Connecticut’s Jasmine Thomas said. “But how we’re playing, the style of play, playing together, staying together through the ups and the downs, the runs, everything that happens during the game, that is what we expected.”

New York (6-4) had a league-best 39.4 percent defensive field goal percentage prior to Wednesday. No other WNBA team was under 40 percent.

The Sun (4-5) shot 50.7 percent. They also had five players score in double figures, just as they did against Atlanta.

“It is the second straight game that we paid attention to the details of the (scouting report) and our team really made them work,” second-year Connecticut head coach Curt Miller said. “That defense is the premiere defense in the league. … For us to shooting 50 percent against that defense tonight is a big accomplishment.”

Alyssa Thomas said, “This is what we’ve been talking about all offseason and all preseason — we’re a dangerous team when we play together.”

Thomas, a starting wing generously listed as 6-foot-2, has been moved to power forward with Morgan Tuck missing her fourth straight game to a knee contusion.

Thomas had 18 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals against the Liberty. She also primarily guarded 2012 MVP and gold medalist Tina Charles for the first time in her career.

Charles got her points — she made 7 of 13 shots for 17 points — but Thomas made her work for them. Charles also tied a season-low with five rebounds. She was third in rebounding (9.3) prior to Wednesday.

“I hope Alyssa Thomas gets her due tonight,” Miller said. “We had to move her out of necessity to the four and she has defended tremendously well since we asked her to go there. Tonight she battled Tina and really made it difficult.

“We showed a lot of attention to Tina, but individually, you’ve got to give a lot of credit to Alyssa Thomas.”

Courtney Williams started her second straight game at shooting guard with Alex Bentley training with Belarus for the FIBA EuroBasket Tournament later this month. She made 8 of her 11 shots.

“Instant offense,” Jasmine Thomas smiled. “I’ll say it over and over and over again — I feel like any time we get the ball in her hands, something good is going to happen.”

Second-year post Jonquel Jones had her fifth double-double of the season (19 points, 12 rebounds) for the Sun. Jasmine Thomas had 14 points and eight assists and reserve Rachel Banham made all three of her 3-pointers and scored 11.

Shavonte Zellous scored 16 for New York, which was without starting shooting guard Epiphanny Prince and reserve post Kia Vaughn. Both are playing in the EuroBasket Tournament.

Connecticut never trailed and was tied just once at 2-all. Alyssa Thomas scored five during a 9-0 run to put the Sun ahead 11-2 with 6 minutes, 37 seconds left in the first quarter.

"It truly is disappointinng at times with all our injures," Miller said. "But they have never ever doubted themselves that they could do it, and next person up."

• ESPN announced Wednesday that Ogwumike will co-host the African edition of SportsCenter. She joins co-host Phil Murphy on a show that will be broadcast to 19 sub-Saharan nations.

“I am thrilled to be joining ESPN to host this unique edition of SportsCenter dedicated to sports fans across Africa,” Ogwumike said. “This is a wonderful opportunity to combine who I am and what I am passionate about. As a Nigerian-American professional women’s basketball player, and now SportsCenter co-host, I want to inspire and empower rising generations across Africa and the U.S. to pursue their dreams.”

n.griffen@theday.com