Full Breakdown
Hilton Grand Vacations Fires Employee After Racist Message to Las Vegas Aces Guard Chelsea Gray
7/15/2026, 4:29:06 AM
The Incident and Immediate Action
On July 13, 2024, the Las Vegas Aces lost to the Indiana Fever 109-75. The following day, guard Chelsea Gray posted an Instagram screenshot showing a fan’s message that used the n-word. Hilton Grand Vacations confirmed that the individual who sent the message was an employee and that he “is no longer with the company.” The company said the conduct “was in violation of multiple company policies and does not reflect our company's values in any way.”
Recent History of Racial Harassment in the WNBA
Gray’s experience follows a series of racially charged threats directed at WNBA players. In late June, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas disclosed death threats and racial slurs after receiving a one-game suspension for a foul on rookie Caitlin Clark. Thomas criticized WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert for insufficient player protection. Earlier in March, the league and its players’ union ratified a new collective-bargaining agreement that added stronger fan-code enforcement, anti-hate campaigning, and expanded security and mental-health resources.
Official Responses
Hilton Grand Vacations issued a public statement terminating the employee and emphasizing policy compliance. Commissioner Engelbert released two statements: one condemning all hate with “The WNBA vehemently condemns any and all forms of hate. The safety and well-being of everyone in our community is always the league’s top priority,” and a follow-up acknowledging Thomas’s comments, noting that the incidents “are completely unacceptable and not representative of the WNBA community.” The Aces organization had not responded at the time of reporting.
Player Criticism and Calls for Change
Gray described the message as an attempt to silence athletes, writing, “The audacity to tell us as athletes to ‘shut up and dribble.’” Thomas added, “It’s really unacceptable. It’s something that needs to change in this league and I’m just really sick and tired of it.” Both players highlighted a pattern of online abuse that persists despite the league’s recent policy upgrades.
Data Highlights
- Game result: Aces 109, Fever 75 (July 13, 2024).
- Player ages: Chelsea Gray, 33; Caitlin Clark, 24.
- Prior incident: Alyssa Thomas’s suspension and subsequent threats occurred after a June 24, 2024 matchup (111-109 win for the Mercury).
Verbatim Quotes
- “The person responsible for posting this information is no longer with the company,” — Hilton Grand Vacations statement
- “His behavior was in violation of multiple company policies and does not reflect our company's values in any way.” — Hilton Grand Vacations statement
- “The audacity to tell us as athletes to ‘shut up and dribble,’” — Chelsea Gray (Instagram)
- “The safety and well-being of everyone in our community is always the league’s top priority.” — Commissioner Cathy Engelbert
- “It’s really unacceptable. It’s something that needs to change in this league and I’m just really sick and tired of it.” — Alyssa Thomas
The incident underscores ongoing challenges in curbing hate speech toward women’s basketball players, even as corporate employers and league officials publicly denounce such behavior.
