The Connecticut Sun started a four-game road trip Friday at Indiana with an 88-72 victory.

It was the same building in which the Sun opened the season on May 19, at that time peddling full-speed into the unknown with a variety of new components to go with the veteran core which led Connecticut to the 2022 WNBA Finals.

Only now, nearly three months later, the Sun are 20-7, third in the overall league standings behind Las Vegas and New York and atop the WNBA’s defensive rankings, having given up just 78.3 points per game.

Connecticut plays Game 2 of its road trip at 3 p.m. Tuesday against the Seattle Storm (7-20) at Climate Pledge Arena (NBC Sports Boston).

“We’ve grown a lot,” Sun head coach Stephanie White said of where the team’s big picture has changed in between trips to her home state of Indiana. “We have a lot of new pieces. We’ve had to sort of reimagine ourselves, going small (after the season-ending injury to post player Brionna Jones in June).

“We’ve got different pieces and we’re playing a little bit differently than we were early on but the identity of this team is still the same, that gritty, tough, resilient bunch that finds ways to position themselves to win ballgames. ... I don’t think we’re close to peaking yet.”

The Sun are led by All-Stars DeWanna Bonner, with 18.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game and Alyssa Thomas with 14.7 points, 10 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game. Newcomer Bernadett Hatar, a 6-foot-10 center from Hungary who has not yet played for Connecticut due to a left knee injury, is listed as probable.

After the game against Seattle, the Sun head to play Thursday at Phoenix and Saturday at Dallas.

Seattle is led by Jewell Loyd with 24.9 points per game.

Last time the teams met on July 6, Connecticut topped the Storm 93-73 at Mohegan Sun Arena, with all five Sun starters scoring in double figures. The Sun are 2-0 against Seattle this season.

v.fulkerson@theday.com