Man Is Fired After Chelsea Gray Posts Racist Message He Allegedly Sent Her

A man who allegedly sent Las Vegas Aces defender Chelsea Gray a profane connection that included a racist slur has been fired aft societal media users figured retired wherever he worked.

On Monday, nan erstwhile Sparks subordinate posted a screenshot connected her Instagram Story of a DM she said she received pursuing her team’s nonaccomplishment to nan Indiana Fever connected Sunday.

“People enactment for illustration we make this s— up,” Gray wrote. “And nan audacity to show america arsenic athletes to ‘shut up and dribble.’”

Her station included nan sender’s personification handle. Folks connected societal media discovered that nan man worked for Hilton Grand Vacations and pressured nan institution to punish him for his alleged misdeed. Initially, nan institution wrote connected X that it was investigating nan matter and “will return due action based connected nan findings of our review.”

Hours later, Hilton Grand Vacations posted that nan personification allegedly responsible for racist connection “is nary longer pinch nan company.”

“His behaviour was successful usurpation of aggregate institution policies and does not bespeak our company’s values successful immoderate way,” Hilton Grand Vacations stated.

Unfortunately, specified harassment isn’t caller for WNBA players. As portion of nan collective bargaining agreement reached successful March, nan convention introduced a no-hate run which included a stronger instrumentality codification of behaviour that specifies punishments for online maltreatment of players and different inappropriate behaviors.

Still, Phoenix Mercury guardant Alyssa Thomas told reporters past period that she received decease threats and racist abuse aft an on-court incident successful which her fist pressed into Indiana Fever prima Caitlin Clark‘s pharynx while they were scrambling for nan ball. No foul was called astatine nan time, but nan WNBA later assessed Thomas a Flagrant 2 foul and suspended her for a game.

Speaking to reporters June 30, Thomas called retired nan convention and commissioner Cathy Engelbert for not doing much to protect players disconnected nan court.

“Time and clip again, players are going done this and nan convention remains silent,” Thomas said. “I’m sick and tired of it. It’s clip for them to measurement up and person our backs.”

Engelbert released a connection pursuing Thomas’ comments.

“We are alert of Alyssa Thomas’ comments, and what she and her teammates person knowledgeable is wholly unacceptable and not typical of nan WNBA community,” the commissioner said. “The convention and our information squad person been successful interaction pinch nan Phoenix Mercury statement and stay committed to protecting each players.”

The WNBA did not instantly respond to a petition for remark connected Gray’s situation.

During past weekend’s Fever-Aces game, Thomas drew a foul connected Clark while driving to nan basket, but her elbow besides appeared to make interaction pinch nan Indiana star’s stomach. Clark doubled complete aft nan whistle successful what immoderate look was an effort to get a foul called connected Thomas, but nary was called.

The racist connection received by Thomas did not look to mention Clark aliases immoderate circumstantial incident.