A fan who allegedly targeted Las Vegas Aces star Chelsea Gray with racist abuse in the wake of her clash with Caitlin Clark has been fired from his job.
Hilton Grand Vacations has fired the unnamed male employee over the disgusting slur, which he is accused of sending to Gray following Las Vegas’ 109-75 loss to the Indiana Fever on Sunday.
The 33-year-old Gray, who floored Clark while attempting to get a shot away on Sunday night, posted the vile message she received to her Instagram story on Monday.
‘People act like we just make this s*** up,’ she wrote in her caption. ‘And the audacity to tell us as athletes to “shut up and dribble.”‘
Hilton Grand Vacations confirmed to the Associated Press that the individual who sent the message is no longer employed with the company.
‘The person responsible for posting this information is no longer with the company,’ Hilton Grand Vacations said in a statement. ‘His behavior was in violation of multiple company policies and does not reflect our company´s values in any way.’
A fan who allegedly targeted Aces star Chelsea Gray with racist abuse has been fired
The vile message came after Gray appeared to elbow Caitlin Clark in the midriff on Sunday
During the second quarter of the Fever’s 109-75 victory, Clark was attempting to defend Gray when the Aces guard appeared to use her left elbow to strike the Indiana superstar’s midriff.
Attempting to get her shot away, Gray pushed off Clark and took a shot at the basket but as she did so, the former No. 1 pick dramatically fell to the floor in agony.
The incident led referees to review the play for a potential ‘hostile act’, which infuriated Gray and coach Becky Hammon, who protested the decision to review.
Clark remained on the floor as the review process played out and, when she eventually returned to her feet, she was left holding her back having recently dealt with injury issues.
The referees eventually ruled the play a common foul for Clark, which sparked a furious reaction from the Fever star.
Gray’s post came after Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas faced similar abuse in the wake of her own run-in with Clark last month.
Clark was punched in the throat by Thomas during a game between the Mercury and the Fever after she fell to the paint under pressure from three Phoenix defenders.
The WNBA’s lack of reaction to Thomas’ punch on Clark has sparked a firestorm directed at the player, officials and the league for what some believe is a routine failure to protect the Indiana Fever star.
Gray shared one of the vile messages she received on social media following Sunday’s game
Clark was also recently punched in the throat by Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas
In the days that followed, Thomas said she was racially abused online and received threats toward herself and her family – including her children.
‘Our families are being threatened,’ Thomas, who is Black, told reporters earlier this month. ‘Kids are being threatened. People are sending racial slurs and all types of stuff.
‘There’s a difference between trolling and there’s a difference between hatred,’ she continued. ‘The hatred that we’re experiencing over a play that was, honestly, a complete accident, no one even knew what happened, it’s just unfortunate.’
She also directed frustration at the WNBA and its commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, whom she criticized for being silent on the issue.
‘The league has to do better in this instance,’ Thomas said. ‘Honestly, I didn’t even know I was being suspended until 10 minutes before it was being put on social media. We still have yet to hear anything from Cathy.
‘It’s no surprise. You can see what’s being said on social media. It’s unfortunate, but as usual, she remains silent. That’s unfortunate when our lives are being threatened.’
