Mohegan — The Connecticut Sun are off to an extraordinary start this WNBA season.

The Sun have set a franchise record with their 9-1 start. To put that in perspective, fourteen of the 22 WNBA champions didn’t start that hot.

Surely it must surprise the Sun, no matter their confidence.

But think again.

“Honestly, I’m not surprised,” Connecticut reserve Rachel Banham said after Friday’s 86-76 win over the Atlanta Dream.

“Coming into this season, we’re like, ‘this is our year.’ We are really good, and we’re pretty stacked. We play really well together.”

The WNBA-leading Sun start a three-game road trip on Sunday at the third-place Chicago Sky (6 p.m., Wintrust Arena, NESN).

Connecticut’s players and head coach Curt Miller have all talked about experience being one of their biggest strengths. Seven of the 12 players have been together since 2016, Miller’s first season.

“I’m not surprised because we’ve been playing together,” Shekinna Stricklen said of her team’s start. “We’ve got the chemistry and we have grown together.

“There have been a lot of times these past couple of years where we let a lead go and we can never find a tempo, and we can never battle back. But now, it’s like, okay, they’ve made a run. We look at each other and are like, ‘you know what, it’s time to get some stops and make our run back to finish the game.' ”

Atlanta head coach Nicki Collen, when asked about how well the Sun have played, singled out 6-foot-6 post Jonquel Jones.

“They have arguably the best player in the league right now in Jonquel Jones,” said Collen, who was a Connecticut assistant from 2016-17. “She can go get tough baskets and is such a matchup nightmare. She stretches your posts out, which leaves the lane open for Jasmine Thomas or Courtney Williams driving.

“(She is) probably the most true stretch-five in the league that has the ability to play inside-out.”

Jones leads the league in rebounding (11.6) and blocks (2.6), and is fourth in scoring (17.3). She’s also improved as a defender, notable given that she was struggling greatly with foul trouble this time last year.

Jones showed off her defense after the Dream cut Connecticut’s 22-point lead down to 51-40 with over three minutes left in the third quarter.

Banham knocked down a 3-pointer to start a Sun run. Jones followed with a steal and was fouled moments later. She made both free throws.

Jones had a block on Atlanta’s next possession to set up another Banham 3-pointer, pushing Connecticut ahead, 60-40, with 2 minutes, 53 seconds left in the third.

“Brandi Poole, our assistant coach, she sent me a lot of film when I was (playing) overseas (during the offseason),” Jones said. “I found ways that I can be better, and I think it’s showing.”

The Sun lead the league in defensive points per possession and are fourth in defensive effective field goal percentage, an advanced metric that puts extra value on made 3-pointers.

“I knew that we had another level that we could tap into (defensively),” Jones said. “I honestly wasn’t expecting us to be on cue as much as we are on defense this early in the season. It’s what we’ve needed because some nights, when we’re not shooting well, our defense is carrying us.”

It’s no coincidence that Connecticut’s seven-game winning streak has coincided with Stricklen’s astounding 3-point shooting.

Stricklen has made 28 of 53 3-pointers over the last seven games.

Kelsey Mitchell is second in the league in made 3-pointers. She has 24 through 10 games.

Stricklen has shot 45.5 percent from behind the arc this season. The long ball has been her primary purpose on offense in order to stretch defenses.

“The beauty of her is that is what she does, and she owns it and her team looks for her,” Collen said. “There is a special unselfishness with this team in finding her when she is open.”

Chicago is 5-3 and was the team Miller said would be the league’s surprise team when asked during the preseason.

Diamond DeShields (14.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg), Courtney Vandersloot (11.6 ppg, 8 apg) Allie Quigley (11 ppg) have been among the Sky’s top players. Quigley is also one of the league’s best 3-point shooters. She’s made 48.6 percent and won the 3-point shooting contests at the previous two WNBA All-Star games.

n.griffen@theday.com