Becky Hammon talks to media after the Aces’ 84-64 loss to Indiana Fever
Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon breaks down the loss and areas the Aces need to focus on before next game
Less than 24 hours after sending Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray a racial slur on social media, a Hilton Grand Vacations employee has been fired.
The employee was quickly identified by fans after Gray posted a screenshot of the message on her Instagram Monday night.
Fans quickly identified the person, prompting Hilton Grand Vacations to announce it was investigating Tuesday afternoon. Hours later, the company shared the news of his firing.
“The person responsible for posting this information is no longer with the company,” Hilton Grand Vacations said. “His behavior was in violation of multiple company policies and does not reflect our company’s values in any way.”
Gray, a four-time WNBA champion and the 2022 Finals MVP, said in her post that she received the message after the Aces’ 109-75 loss to the Indiana Fever on Sunday.
“People act like we just make this (stuff) up,” she wrote in her post. “And the audacity to tell us as athletes to ‘shut up and dribble.'”
In the wake of Hilton Grand Vacation’s statements, Gray took to her Instagram story once again and expressed gratitude to fans.
“Appreciate all the messages, posts, emails, etc,” she wrote. “Even if I don’t reply to all of them, know that I thank you!”
Gray’s experience comes after Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas opened up about receiving racial abuse and death threats in the wake of a one-game suspension the league issued her due to her making contact with star Fever guard Caitlin Clark’s throat during a loss to the Fever on June 24.
Thomas criticized WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert for not taking action to protect the league’s players.
“We still have yet to hear anything from Cathy (Engelbert). It’s no surprise,” Thomas said. “You can see what’s being said on social media … but as usual, she remains silent and that’s unfortunate when our lives are being threatened. … The league has to do better.”
Engelbert released a statement after Thomas’ comments.
“We are aware of Alyssa Thomas’ comments, and what she and her teammates have experienced is completely unacceptable and not representative of the WNBA community,” Engelbert said. “The league and our security team have been in contact with the Phoenix Mercury organization and remain committed to protecting all players.”
