Mohegan — The Connecticut Sun have officially arrived at the “must-win” portion of their season, even if it’s the first week of August with over five weeks left in the WNBA regular season.

That the Sun’s next got-to, got-to, got-to win it game is against the Washington Mystics makes for many compelling narratives. Said game is Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena (7 p.m., no TV).

Connecticut (10-9) is in fifth place in the East because it has the worst conference record (3-8). It’s also been vexed by teams with winning records.

Second-place Washington (12-7) has owned Connecticut the past two seasons and, of course, is coached by Mike Thibault, whom the Sun dismissed after the 2012 season.

“They have our number so far, so we need to change that,” Connecticut’s Kayla Pedersen said.

Connecticut has already lost the season series to the fourth-place Indiana Fever. Washington has beaten them twice this season, so the best the Sun can do is tie the season series (the last game is Sunday in Washington).

The Mystics have won 9 of the last 11 games against Connecticut since Thibault took over the franchise, and it’s a guarantee that the Sun are keenly aware of that.

“Our defense, we’ve been really lacking in that area against them (this season),” Pedersen said. “Five passes, wide-open shot, that’s the type of team they are. They penetrate and pitch, make that extra play and are always feeding off of each other.

“They’re so fluid. … A team that just passes like that and moves the ball like that and are always finding the open man; I think they’re pretty elite.”

Washington beat the Sun 73-68 on opening night of the WNBA season (June 5).

Kara Lawson frustrated her former team in the Mystics' 89-82 win on July 19. She made three 3-pointers in the game’s first five minutes and went on to make 8 of 11 field goals for a season-high 24 points.

“We have got to do better containing the ball so that they can’t pass and find the open man,” Sun coach Anne Donovan said. “Both games (that happened), Kara in the second game, and in the first game it was everybody.”

Connecticut has improved in its second year of rebuilding, but struggled against winning teams like the Mystics. It’s beaten just three winning teams this season — the defending WNBA champion Phoenix Mercury, the league-leading Minnesota Lynx, and the defending Eastern Conference champion Chicago Sky. All three of those teams were missing at least one key player, however.

Allie Quigley, last year’s Sixth-Man winner, was finishing her overseas commitment when the Sun beat the Sky 67-65 on June 11. Chicago won the next two meetings.

All-star and 2014 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Brittney Griner was serving a suspension when the Mercury lost to Connecticut in double-overtime 90-78 (June 19).

All-Stars and Olympians Seimone Augustus and Lindsay Whalen were out with injuries when the Sun beat the Lynx in overtime 78-77 (July 22).

Excluding Washington, seven of Connecticut’s final 13 games are against winning teams and almost all in-conference — three games against the first-place New York Liberty (13-6), two against the Sky (13-8) and one against Phoenix (13-7) and Indiana (11-9).

“We’re not looking at (a team’s) record,” Donovan said. “We’re looking at their personnel and how to attack them. Same reason why we don’t look at who is healthy and who is not healthy. You can drive yourself crazy in this league looking at those wins and losses. So for us, every game is one game at a time and Washington is just our next opponent.”

n.griffen@theday.com

Twitter: @MetalNED