Top Stories of the Week: Wizards get closer to training camp, Mystics get postseason bid

The summer weather is gradually going away from us. That’s bittersweet. Though I like warm weather, I dread the cold of the winter. That means NBA basketball’s also coming back within a month when preseason games start just a little earlier than they have in previous seasons. Let’s get to the top stories of the week:

Mystics earn playoff bid, but they’re probably in the first round

The Mystics, even with all of their injuries, have remained in the Top 4 of the WNBA standing all year long. They clinched their playoff spot last Sunday with a win against the Indiana Fever.

Though the Mystics are playing well against lottery bound opponents, they are struggling against fellow playoff teams. They lost a critical game to the New York Liberty that puts them solidly in fifth place in the WNBA standings. The good news for the rest of the season is that Elena Delle Donne’s back from her thumb injury. But the bad news is that they lost the tiebreaker to the Liberty and they’re probably too far behind the Connecticut Sun to overtake them — even if they win the rescheduled August 29 game.

Finally in Mystics news, Ivory Latta won the Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award, which is kinda like John Wall’s NBA Cares Community Assist Award for the 2015-16 season. D.C. is a city of assisters with the day to day residents, not just on the basketball court.

The Wizards’ All-Time Team is out on NBA2K

John Wall, Wes Unseld, Elvin Hayes, and Earl Monroe all made the team. EVen some fan favorites like Georghe Muresan made it as well. But folks like Gilbert Arenas (even with his post career troubles), Antawn Jamison, and Caron Butler were absent. Butler even pointed this out to Ronnie2K:

We’ll see if he gets on when the game’s released.

And more links

If you didn’t have too much time this past week, here are some other things we and others covered around the web:

• The Wizards’ preseason schedule is out!
• John Wall is a spinmaster, not just a pass-maestro!
• The Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas trade happened between the Cavaliers and Celtics in quite sudden fashion. The Wizards may benefit more than you think.
• Emma Meesseman has a bigger sense of humor than she lets on.
• Marcin Gortat watched the solar eclipse last Monday. He also wants to let you know he’s made of iron. Really, he’s durable as they come.
• John Wall was in D.C. last week for his foundation and also played some pickup. Bradley Beal was in Paris.
• Pro Basketball Talk went in depth on the Wizards’ looming financial commitments.
• And Tomas Satoransky is heading to EuroBasket which starts next week.

Alright, that’s what I have for this summer week. If there’s another link you’d like to share, feel free to do so in the comments or as a FanPost. Enjoy your weekends everyone!