Sport: Soccer Country: United States Category: Transactions

Hilton Grand Vacations investigates racial slur incident involving Chelsea Gray

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jul 14, 2026, 5:46 PM

Last updated Jul 14, 2026

Hilton Grand Vacations investigates racial slur incident involving Chelsea Gray

Summary

Hilton Grand Vacations is investigating an employee suspected of sending a racial slur to Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray. The incident took place on Sunday, and Gray shared the offending message on her Instagram story on Monday. The company stated that such behavior violates its policies and does not reflect its values. This comes in light of recent discussions on player safety following complaints about social media abuse among athletes. A league statement emphasized its commitment to the safety and well-being of players.

Source Links

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Key Details

•Gray received a racial slur via direct message on Instagram.
•The employee's profile reportedly displayed Hilton Grand Vacations branding.
•The company is conducting an investigation into the allegations.
•WNBA commissioner condemned hate speech and pledged support for player safety.
•Gray's incident follows previous remarks from Alyssa Thomas about online abuse.

Latest Updates

4:32 PMYahoo Sports — Man Fired After Allegedly Sending Racist Messages to Aces’ Chelsea Gray
11:55 PMESPN — Fan fired for alleged racist message to Aces' Gray...
10:45 PMYahoo Sports — Hilton Grand Vacations fires employee who sent racial slur via social media to Aces’ Chelsea Gray
5:46 PMYahoo Sports — Hilton Grand Vacations investigating employee suspected of sending racial slur to Aces star Chelsea Gray

What they're saying

"
Hilton Grand Vacations has fired an employee who sent a racial slur via social media to Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray following the team’s 109-75 loss to the Indiana Fever on Sunday. The 33-year-old Gray posted the message she received that included a racial slur on her Instagram story on Monday. Hilton Grand Vacations confirmed to The Associated Press on Tuesday that the individual who messaged Gray is no longer employed with Hilton Grand Vacations.
— Yahoo Sports