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Hilton Grand Vacations Fires Employee Who Sent Racist Message to Chelsea Gray After Aces Loss
Hilton Grand Vacations terminated an employee on July 14, 2026, who sent a racist direct message to Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray after a July 12 game. The company said the conduct violated its policies. Gray had posted a screenshot of the message on Instagram.
Jul 14, 8:47 PM·1m read3 sources
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Hilton Grand Vacations terminated an employee on July 14, 2026, who sent a racist direct message to Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray. The message read “You suck ass ugly ass n—–” and arrived via social media after the Aces’ 109-75 loss to the Indiana Fever on July 12. ” Community members identified the sender after he tagged Hilton Grand Vacations in several of his social media stories.
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The company first stated it was aware of the allegations and would review them. It later confirmed the employee’s departure, saying his behavior violated multiple company policies and did not reflect the company’s values. The Athletic reported that Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams received a separate hateful audio message on Instagram after Minnesota’s 90-85 win over the New York Liberty on July 11.
The sender blamed Williams for recording only one assist, which affected a player prop bet. Williams finished that game with 12 points, 12 rebounds and one assist. Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas said she and teammates received death threats and racial slurs after an on-court incident with Caitlin Clark on June 24.
Thomas received a one-game suspension for pushing her fist to Clark’s throat. In March 2026 the WNBA and its players’ union reached a new collective bargaining agreement that added security measures, technological support, mental health resources, a stronger fan code of conduct and an anti-hate campaign.
