Hilton Grand Vacations announced Tuesday that it has fired an employee who allegedly sent a racial insult to Las Vegas Aces star Chelsea Gray.
“The person responsible for posting this information is no longer with the company,” Hilton Grand Vacations said in its statement. “His behavior was in violation of multiple company policies and does not reflect our company’s values in any way.”
Gray posted a screenshot of an alleged Instagram direct message she received after her loss to Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on Sunday.
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The screenshot contained an alleged racial slur against Gray, and included the user’s profile name and photo.
“People act like we just make this s— up. And the audacity to tell us as athletes to ‘shut up and dribble,'” Gray wrote under the screenshot.
The Fever defeated the Aces 109-75, as Clark had 12 points with seven rebounds and six assists. The Fever guard continued to work her way back to a full-time role after suffering a back injury on June 24.
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The game against the Aces came amid heightened tension among WNBA fans and players which followed the incident where Clark was punched in the throat by Alyssa Thomas during a June 24 game between the Fever and Phoenix Mercury.
The incident and subsequent discourse has resurfaced contentious racial debates surrounding Clark’s presence as the preeminent player in the WNBA. Thomas and her teammates previously revealed they also received racial insults and threats after the throat punch.
Last week, 11 Republican lawmakers wrote a letter to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert alleging Clark faces racially motivated hostility and expressing concern that the “physical hostility” and “violence” she faces may also be racially motivated.
“Clark has been hip-checked, poked in the eye, and struck in the throat during games. These incidents go far beyond routine physical play, yet the WNBA and its officiating have too often failed to address these unacceptable incidents and hold players accountable,” the letter states.
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Engelbert then allegedly canceled an interview on “The Dan Patrick Show” late last week, Patrick claimed on Friday’s show, due to guidance from the league’s public relations team.
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