By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Powered by the record setting rebounding pace of Jonquel Jones, the Connecticut Sun continue to be one of the hottest teams in the WNBA and officially clinched its first playoff berth since 2012.

Jones finished with 19 points, 16 rebounds and tied a career high with five blocks in the Sun’s 96-88 win over the Dallas Wings Saturday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Unacasville, Connecticut.

With the win and San Antonio Stars win over the Atlanta Dream, the Sun clinched a berth to the postseason.

“It’s something that people probably didn’t believe in when the season started, but we knew it, “ Jones said following the win, “So I think that’s all that matters. And once our fans and coaches are behind us, that’s all we need.”

It pushed the Sun’s winning streak to five games, the longest streak in the league. It was also Jones’ fifth straight double double and her 16th of the season.

The win also marked the eighth consecutive home win for the Sun and their 11th win in 13 home contests.

“It might have come a year earlier than I thought,” Sun coach Curt Miller said to the New Haven Register, “It is special for all those guys who haven’t been in he playoffs before. A lot of that roster has not been in the playoffs so really excited for them, our four second year players are such a big part of us, happy that they are going to experience it for the first time.”

The Sun lead the Eastern Conference at 17-9, one game ahead of the Washington Mystics. They remain third in the league behind the Western Conference leaders Minnesota Lynx (21-4) and Los Angeles Sparks (19-7).

“We’re so excited to end the drought and get back in the playoffs,” Miller said to the Norweich Bulletin, “In that locker room, that team has many more goals ahead of it. I’m really proud of the way we played. We’re going to celebrate it, but that locker room still has more goals in mind.”

The Sun franchise began as the Orlando Miracle in 1999 and made the postseason just once in its four-year tenure in Florida. They relocated to Connecticut in 2003. They advanced to the WNBA Finals in 2004-05 and the Conference Finals in 2003, 2006, and 2012. Sine their last postseason appearance they finished sixth or fifth in the conference for the past four years.

Jones pushed her averages to 16 points, a league leading 11.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots per game. She averaged 6.8 points and 3.7 rebounds as a rookie last season.

She received one vote in the 2016 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year tally to finish in a 5-way tie for fifth behind winner Jantel Lavender.

The Sun finished last season 14-20, 5th in Eastern Conference, just missing the postseason after a dramatic midseason turnaround.