Chelsea Gray publicly shared a racist message she received after the Las Vegas Aces’ loss to the Indiana Fever on Sunday. The situation escalated after the alleged sender was identified as an employee of Hilton Grand Vacations, prompting the company to take swift action.
Hilton Grand Vacations later confirmed that the employee was no longer with the company, stating that the individual’s behavior violated multiple company policies and did not reflect the company’s values.
The response has since drawn praise from a WNBA commentator Christian C. Esq, who is black, called the company’s decision an important step in holding individuals accountable for hateful online behavior.
In a video posted on Instagram on Tuesday, the commentator with 6,078 followers applauded Hilton Grand Vacations for acting quickly after the incident came to light.
“I gotta say, I have to commend and thank Hilton Grand Vacations for doing the right thing and doing it so quickly because there are too many people like Nick Schreiber who think that they can use Black women, women of the LGBTQIA community as their footstool,” she said.
She added that many individuals assume there will be no consequences for such behavior, making the company’s immediate response particularly significant.
“This is a small win for Chelsea Gray and the other Black women that have been harassed by people like Nick. But the job is not over. It’s not done.”
Gray had shared a screenshot of the alleged racist message on her Instagram Stories on Monday, writing, “People act like we make this up.” The message came in the aftermath of the Aces’ 109-75 defeat.
Chelsea Gray Incident Highlights Concerns Over WNBA Player Abuse
The incident is an example of the growing problem of online harassment directed toward WNBA players.
“The person responsible for posting this information is no longer with the company,” the company told Front Office Sports. “His behavior was in violation of multiple company policies and does not reflect our company’s values in any way.”
Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas revealed that she received death threats and racist messages after her suspension stemming from an on-court altercation with Caitlin Clark earlier this season.
“It’s unfortunate that it’s come to this over basketball,” Thomas said. “A lot of us — myself included — didn’t even know the play took place until after the game. Now we’re being painted as thugs. There’s death threats out on us. It’s really unacceptable. It’s something that needs to change in this league, and I’m just really sick and tired of it.”
The incidents have intensified conversations around player safety. The WNBA has already introduced initiatives aimed at combating hate and abuse online, but several players have continued to call for stronger measures.
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