Connecticut Sun coach Anne Donovan insisted before the WNBA season that the Eastern Conference was wide open.

Donovan reiterated that belief after the Sun lost their season-opener at home to the Washington Mystics.

But six straight wins since, including three rare victories on the West Coast? No one would have predicted that. But that's exactly what the Sun have have accomplished as they return home to play the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday night at Mohegan Sun Arena (7 p.m., no TV).

Connecticut has become one of the league’s best early surprises. Just ask their head coach.

“I don’t know if I thought our chemistry would come together so quickly,” Donovan said. “I don’t know if I would’ve foreseen this much early success. I would’ve predicted it would’ve taken longer to get everybody together.”

The Sun have finished last the previous two seasons. They and the West-leading Tulsa Shock both had the fewest wins (23) during that time.

The keys to Connecticut's success aren’t anything groundbreaking, according to reserve Kayla Pedersen who, in her third season with the team, has the most tenure.

“We have a lot of players that come into practice every day and work hard,” Pedersen said. “We push each other. We talk to each other. There’s a certain dynamic to our team, and I think that people are really listening to everybody and buying in.

“Getting everyone on the same page and working together and communicating ... communicating is a big thing. I think that’s why we’re playing good ball.”

The Sun are near the top of the league in many statistical categories. They’re first in points allowed (68), steals (11.3) and points off turnovers (23.9).

“Some of our starters last year, Alex (Bentley), Kelsey Bone and Alyssa Thomas, were all really young,” Donovan said. “They all got a ton of experience; game experience and tight-game experience. And then we added two veterans, Camille (Little), who has won a world championship (with the Seattle Storm), and Jasmine (Thomas), who’s been a point guard that has five years of experience.

“That (chemistry) usually takes longer to come together, so I think what we have is a very special group that is single-minded in what we want, and what we want is postseason play.”

Connecticut realizes it must build off its early success in order to hang with the league’s best. It had an early hot streak last year and won six in a row, only to win just five of its last 20 games.

The Sun have benefitted from playing teams who are missing starters and/or are rebuilding. Los Angeles dressed just eight players in Sunday’s 78-69 home loss to Connecticut. It was without starters Alana Beard (left foot), Nneka Ogwumike (ankle), Kristi Toliver (Slovakia national team commitment) and Candace Parker (sabbatical), as well as reserve Erin Phillips (knee).

Ogwumike returned in Wednesday’s loss at Washington. Center Jantel Lavender (13.8 ppg, 10.6 rpg) and point guard Temeka Johnson (8.6 ppg, 7 apg) have led the Sparks.

The Sun may have beaten depleted teams, but they were hit harder by injuries than anyone else before the season began. They lost five players from last year’s roster, including their best player, Chiney Ogwumike (knee).

• The first 4,000 fans in attendance tonight will receive a special Sun beach ball.

n.griffen@theday.com

Twitter:@MetalNED