One ugly direct message has turned into a very public reckoning for a Las Vegas worker and a loud show of support for Aces guard Chelsea Gray.
The Las Vegas Aces on Wednesday publicly condemned a racist Instagram DM sent to Gray after Sunday’s 109-75 loss to the Indiana Fever. Gray had already taken the message out of the shadows, posting a screenshot of the abuse to her Instagram Story, complete with the sender’s visible username. Online sleuths quickly connected that handle to an employee of a local company, and the employer later said the person is no longer with the firm.
Gray shared the screenshot on Monday and wrote, “People act like we just make this s--- up,” as she exposed the message, CBS Sports reported. The image showed a direct message that included a racial slur, and it did not take long for social media users to circulate the sender's handle and profile photos. Gray’s post ricocheted across WNBA social feeds and sparked immediate calls for accountability.
Hilton Grand Vacations Fires Employee
Internet users soon tied the account to an employee of Hilton Grand Vacations, and the company confirmed Tuesday that the person is out of a job. In a statement to Front Office Sports, Hilton said, "The person responsible for posting this information is no longer with the company. His behavior was in violation of multiple company policies and does not reflect our company's values in any way." The company had earlier said it was looking into the allegation before announcing the firing.
Aces Condemn The Abuse
With the firing public, the Aces weighed in. The team issued a statement Wednesday saying it “unequivocally condemns” the racist abuse and that it “stands with organizations, like Hilton Grand Vacations, that hold individuals accountable for racist conduct,” Front Office Sports reports. The club’s message echoed the broader league stance that hateful, targeted attacks against players will not be tolerated. Team officials said they are working with league resources and reviewing how to better protect players from targeted online harassment.
Part Of A Larger Problem
The incident is not an isolated flare-up. It arrives as the WNBA continues an ongoing effort to rein in online hate, after launching a “No Space For Hate” platform last season to combat racist and hateful conduct in arenas and on social platforms, as noted by ESPN. Players including Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas have recently described receiving death threats and racial slurs, and the WNBA has been monitoring that kind of abuse. The league was made aware of Gray’s message and has been in touch with Aces security, according to CBS Sports. The episode underscores how quickly in-game moments and betting-related frustration can spill into targeted racist harassment online.
For now, the most concrete outcome is the employer's decision to cut ties with the sender and the Aces' public denunciation. Both moves have been framed as necessary responses by local fans and league watchers, and they keep the spotlight on how teams, employers and platforms handle abuse when players are targeted off the court.
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