Chelsea Gray Posted A Screenshot Of A Racist Message She Received And The Man Who Sent It Was Fired By His Employer The Next Day

Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray posted a screenshot on Instagram Monday of a racist message she received after the Aces' 109-75 loss to the Indiana Fever on Sunday, a message from a fan that included a racial slur.

"People act like we just make this s--- up," Gray wrote alongside the screenshot. "And the audacity to tell us as athletes to 'shut up and dribble.'"

By Tuesday, Hilton Grand Vacations had identified the sender as one of its employees and fired him.

"The person responsible for posting this information is no longer with the company," the company said in a statement. "His behavior was in violation of multiple company policies and does not reflect our company's values in any way."

The incident arrives in the middle of a larger and deeply troubling pattern of racist and violent harassment directed at WNBA players.

Two weeks ago, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas said she received death threats and racial slurs after her one-game suspension for making contact with Caitlin Clark's throat in a June 24 game.

Thomas publicly criticized WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert for not doing enough to protect players. "We're so concerned about the safety on the court," Thomas said, "but time and time again, we're having people threaten our lives. Leaking addresses out there. Putting crazy pictures that have nothing to do with basketball. It's really unacceptable."

The WNBA and its players' union agreed in March on a new collective bargaining agreement that specifically included stronger fan code of conduct provisions and an anti-hate campaign. The messages keep coming anyway.