Hilton Grand Vacations has terminated an employee who sent a racial slur to Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray via social media following the team's 109-75 loss to the Indiana Fever on Sunday. The 33-year-old Gray posted the message on her Instagram story on Monday, which included a racial epithet. "People act like we just make this shit up," she wrote. "And the audacity to tell us as athletes to 'shut up and dribble.'"
Hilton confirms termination
Hilton Grand Vacations confirmed that the individual responsible is no longer employed with the company. "The person responsible for posting this information is no longer with the company," Hilton Grand Vacations said in a statement. "His behavior was in violation of multiple company policies and does not reflect our company's values in any way." The Aces did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Broader context of WNBA player safety
In March, the WNBA and its players' union agreed on a transformative new collective bargaining agreement aimed at enhancing security, improving technological support, reinforcing mental health resources, enforcing a stronger fan code of conduct, and protecting players through an anti-hate campaign. However, the harassment Gray faced follows similar incidents involving Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, who reported receiving racial slurs and death threats after a one-game suspension for making contact with her fist to Caitlin Clark's throat during a 111-109 win against the Fever.
Thomas criticized WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert for not doing more to protect players. "It's unfortunate that it's come to this over basketball," Thomas said. "A lot of us – myself included – didn't even know the play took place until after the game. Now we're being painted as thugs. There's death threats out on us. It's really unacceptable. It's something that needs to change in this league and I'm just really sick and tired of it."
