Hilton Grand Vacations dismisses employee after sending racial slur to WNBA player

A Hilton Grand Vacations employee was fired less than a day after sending Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray a racial slur on social media. Gray posted a screenshot of the message on Instagram on Monday night, prompting fans to identify the sender. Hilton Grand Vacations announced an investigation on Tuesday and later confirmed the employee's termination, stating that his conduct violated multiple company policies and did not reflect the company's values.

"The person responsible for posting this information is no longer with the company," the company said.

Gray, a four-time WNBA champion and 2022 Finals MVP, said she received the message after the Aces' 109-75 loss to the Indiana Fever. She criticized the harassment and thanked supporters for their messages.

"Appreciate all the messages, posts, emails, etc," she wrote on Instagram.

The incident follows recent reports of racial abuse directed at Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, who also criticized WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert for an inadequate response. Engelbert issued a statement saying the league considers such behavior unacceptable and is working with the Mercury organization to protect players.