Chiney Ogwumike was told that she’s looked more like her old self of late.

“You know, it’s funny, I’ve heard that lately,” said Ogwumike, the Connecticut Sun’s second-year post. “I just think I’ve had more opportunities.”

There’s a correlation to the way Ogwumike and Connecticut have played of late. The Sun have won three of their last five games with Ogwumike getting closer to her rookie form.

Connecticut plays host to the league-leading Los Angeles Sparks at 7 p.m. Friday in its final game at Mohegan Sun Arena before the Olympic break.

Los Angeles (19-1) has won seven in a row. A win tonight would tie it with the 1998 Houston Comets for the best start in WNBA history.

Connecticut is 6-14.

It’s been an odd season for Ogwumike. She returned to the Sun lineup after missing last season due to microfracture surgery on her right knee. Head coach Curt Miller played it safe by having her come off the bench and limited her to 20 minutes or less for most of the first 11 games.

Ogwumike understandably didn’t look like the player who set a Division I record for most made field goals (402) her senior year at Stanford (2014), was drafted No. 1 overall that year by Connecticut, and was that year’s WNBA Rookie of the Year.

“She’ll be the first person to acknowledge that she didn’t have the timing and her bounce back,” Miller said. “She wasn’t back in game-ready form.”

Things began to change for Ogwumike — and the Sun — after starting center Kelsey Bone was traded during the team’s 12-day road trip to the Phoenix Mercury (June 25).

Connecticut has won three of its last five since the trade. Ogwumike has averaged 28.4 minutes, 15.4 points and 7.4 rebounds during that stretch.

“We’re just moving the ball more and being unselfish,” Ogwumike said. “When we started off the season, it was tough. We weren’t in the best environment in the sense that we weren’t helping each other and not supporting each other as much as we could. The last five or six games, we’ve been more committed to each other.”

Miller said, “It was at some point of our long road trip (in late June) when I was like, ‘Wow, she’s starting to look like a totally different player.’ There’s a confidence and a bounce to her game. … She’s back at her natural position, the five (center). She may not have the girth and size of some other team’s centers in our league, but she’s had opportunities to use her quickness to score.”

Nneka Ogwumike, Chiney’s older sister, has played at an absurd level this season for the Sparks. She’s shooting at a record level (71.2-percent), is tied for sixth in scoring (19.1), and fifth in rebounds (8.5).

Candace Parker is the one who revs the engine for Los Angles and averaged 16.7 points (ninth), 7.5 rebounds (ninth) and five assists (third). Kristi Toliver ranks third in 3-point shooting (46.1-percent) and averaged 14.1 points.

n.griffen@theday.com