Hilton Fires Employee Accused of Sending Racist Slur to WNBA Star

Hilton Grand Vacations has fired an employee after the individual allegedly sent racist messages to Las Vegas Aces star Chelsea Gray following the team’s loss to the Indiana Fever, the company confirmed Wednesday.

In a statement, Hilton Grand Vacations said the employee’s conduct violated company policies and did not reflect its values.

“The person responsible for posting this information is no longer with the company,” the company said. “His behavior was in violation of multiple company policies and does not reflect our company’s values in any way.”

Gray, 33, shared a screenshot of the alleged message on her Instagram Stories after the Aces’ 109-75 loss to the Fever on July 12. The message reportedly included a racial slur and other insulting remarks. Gray said she posted the screenshot to highlight the abuse athletes often face online.

“People act like we just make this s— up,” Gray wrote. “And the audacity to tell us as athletes to ‘shut up and dribble.’”

According to reports, the sender was identified after Gray’s screenshot showed the user’s profile picture and handle, which online users linked to a Hilton Grand Vacations employee through LinkedIn.

The incident followed a heated moment during Sunday’s game when Gray and Fever star Caitlin Clark collided on a play that resulted in Clark being called for a common foul after Gray drew contact while scoring.

Gray’s experience comes amid growing concerns about harassment directed at WNBA players. Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas recently revealed she received death threats after a foul involving Clark, saying players are unfairly being portrayed as “thugs” and calling the online abuse “unacceptable.”

The incidents have renewed conversations about racism, harassment and player safety both on and off the court.