Mohegan — It was mentioned to Connecticut Sun starter Chiney Ogwumike that everyone across the WNBA looks tired right now.

Ogwumike laughed out loud.

“Bro, understatement of the century,” Ogwumike said.

Connecticut hosts the Phoenix Mercury on Friday night at 7 (Mohegan Sun Arena, NBCSB), its sixth game in 12 days.

The Mercury will play their third game in six days.

The WNBA has a compacted schedule this season so that its players can get to their national teams in time for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup on Sept. 22-30 in the Canary Islands. The United States is the two-time defending champion.

Teams played 34 games over 113 days last season.

This year, teams are playing 34 in 93 days. That’s nearly three weeks less than last season.

The league’s overall talent level is as good as ever and played a role in all the unpredictability. The compacted schedule, though, is perhaps the biggest reason why this season is one of the WNBA’s most volatile since Connecticut relocated from Orlando in 2003.

“I think it’s definitely the compacted schedule,” Ogwumike said. “Usually good teams or great teams have opportunities to prepare to keep them more consistent. There’s no preparation going on (this season). We had our first practice in four weeks (Tuesday). My sister (Nneka Ogwumike of the Los Angeles Sparks) had her first practice in five weeks (Monday).

Today's one-point home loss is tomorrow's 20-point blowout road win this season.

“Teams don’t have a chance to prepare, which means everyone is on their toes,” Ogwumike said.

The Mercury (14-7) are second in the overall standings. They beat Connecticut on June 6, 84-77. They lost two days later at the Atlanta Dream (76-70) who, at the time, were under .500.

The league-leading Seattle Storm (15-6) won at home Sunday against the then third-place Washington Mystics (97-91). Seattle lost in overtime at home two days later to the Los Angeles Sparks (77-75).

The Sparks previously lost three in a row at home to Connecticut (73-72, July 3), at the world champion Minnesota Lynx (83-72, July 5), and at home to Washington (83-74, July 7).

Los Angeles was beaten at home again Thursday by the Dallas Wings, 92-77.

So many games in a short period of time takes a physical and mental toll. WNBA teams can’t charter flights like their male peers. They travel on commercial flights like the majority of folks. The Sun recently had a 6 a.m. check-in at the ticket counter.

“The unpredictably of who’s healthy, who is fresher, who has had a little less travel, who’s a little less banged up, it’s just really, really hard this season,” Connecticut head coach Curt Miller said.

The Sun (10-10) have lost nine of their 12 games. Inconsistent play from their top players has been part of their struggles.

Connecticut has also had a rougher road, literally, than anyone else in the league. It began the week having played 13 of its last 16 on the road, as well as playing the fewest home games in the WNBA (six).

Compounding matters was that starting forward Alyssa Thomas injured her shoulder on June 13 and missed 10 straight games to a shoulder injury. She had been the Sun’s best player, and they lost eight without her.

Fellow starter Courtney Williams missed all of last week due to a “personal matter.” Connecticut went 1-3.

Ogwumike also missed a game due to a knee issue at Phoenix (89-72). That loss happened three days after Thomas was hurt. And one night after Ogwumike played 34 minutes and scored a season-high 30 in a 103-92 loss at Seattle.

“It’s an exhausting season this year, on top of (the injuries and absences),” Sun guard Jasmine Thomas said. “People are tired around the league. We just have to grind it out.”

n.griffen@theday.com