Hilton Grand Vacations terminates employee after sending racial slur to WNBA guard

Hilton Grand Vacations announced on Tuesday that it has terminated an employee who sent a racial slur to Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray via social media after the team's 109-75 loss to the Indiana Fever. Gray, 33, shared a screenshot of the message on her Instagram story, calling attention to the harassment and the broader issue of online abuse toward athletes.

The company said the individual's conduct breached multiple internal policies and did not reflect its values. "The person responsible for posting this information is no longer with the company," the statement read.

Gray thanked supporters for the messages and emails she received following the incident. The Aces did not immediately comment.

The episode follows a series of online threats directed at WNBA players, including Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams and Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, who reported receiving hate messages and death threats after recent games. Players have criticized league officials for insufficient protection against such harassment.

In March, the WNBA and its players' union adopted a new collective bargaining agreement aimed at improving security, mental-health resources, and fan conduct standards, but incidents of online hate continue to be reported.