Mohegan — The Connecticut Sun were fortunate to get through the first quarter of the WNBA season without missing players to either injuries or absences.

Their good fortune has run out.

Point guard Layshia Clarendon, the Sun’s top reserve, sprained her right ankle at practice this week and is listed as doubtful for Friday night’s home game against the Atlanta Dream (Mohegan Sun Arena, 7:30, NESN Plus).

Clarendon stepped on a teammate’s foot during Wednesday’s practice and was on crutches Thursday.

Fourth-year guard Rachel Banham is the next player up for the Sun.

“I think I have no choice, huh?,” Banham deadpanned. “No, I’m ready. … It’s my fourth season, so I feel comfortable no matter what.”

Connecticut head coach Curt Miller said, “Everybody absorbs (more minutes). No one is going to feel sorry that we have a former All-Star out of our lineup, the person that we consider our sixth starter, because there’s so many injuries around the league.”

The Sun (8-1) have benefited from having a complete roster as they’ve matched a franchise record for best start and have the WNBA’s best record.

Clarendon has averaged the most minutes off Connecticut’s bench (15.3 per-game).

“We may have been the best team through this nine-game stretch, but we were also the healthiest,” Miller said. “This is our first adversity with injury, and we know it won’t be the last. We’ll have to manage through this period as we find out the long-term details for Layshia.”

Banham has averaged 10.4 minutes and shot 31.7 percent from the floor.

“I could be shooting better,” Banham said. “I’m just trying to stick with it, keep playing hard, and obviously playing good defense. I think that’ll keep me on the floor.

“In practice, me and Layshia try to trade off the one (point guard) and the two (shooting guard) so we both get reps at both.”

Miller has noted before that the likes of Atlanta (2-5) and the Dallas Wings are the worst matchups for the Sun. The Dream swept their three-game regular-season series with Connecticut last season.

The Sun won the first meeting this year, 65-59, despite shooting a hideous 28.4 percent.

“The uber-athletic teams in the league have seemed to give us trouble,” Miller said. “They’re (Atlanta) so dynamic athletically. They have great length and shot-blocking and rim-protection. They make it really hard to score. And then (on offense) they have playmakers.

“We’re a very scout-heavy team that prides ourselves in taking away the first action or two within a shot clock, but Atlanta is one of those teams that late in a shot clock can just go manufacture more plays than a lot of other teams.”

The Dream have been dealing with their own injuries and absences, first and foremost Angel McCoughtry. The two-time Olympic wing is still recovering from tearing ligaments in her left knee last August. She has been the biggest tormentor in Sun history — she’s had more 30-plus point games against them than any other player (eight).

Atlanta reserve guard Alex Bentley, a former Sun starter, has taken a leave of absence to play for Belarus at this month’s FIBA Women's EuroBasket tournament.

The Dream temporarily suspended Bentley and added rookie point guard Natisha Hiedeman to provide depth. Hiedeman was in Connecticut’s training camp this spring after the Minnesota Lynx selected her 18th overall (second round) in April’s WNBA draft at the Sun’s behest, and traded her moments later for point guard Lexie Brown, Connecticut’s No. 1 (ninth overall) last season.

Atlanta snapped a five-game losing streak Wednesday by beating the Indiana Fever, 88-78. Tiffany Hayes, an All-WNBA first-team pick last season, went off and scored a season-high 28 points while Renee Montgomery added 16 points and nine assists.

n.griffen@theday.com