A racist message sent to four-time WNBA champion Chelsea Gray by an online troll lead to an outcry on social media for change.
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It’s been nearly a decade since the scathing comment made by Fox News journalist Laura Ingraham in reference to NBA stars LeBron James and Kevin Durant, in which she told the two to “shut up and dribble” due to their comments on political matters at the time.
It made for quite an uproar back in 2018, and in 2026 players are still fighting against the polarizing statement as they deal with their own run-ins with racism. Recently, four-time WNBA champion Chelsea Gray made reference to Ingraham’s infamous quote in sharing a message one racist online troll sent her following last Sunday’s matchup between her Las Vegas Aces squad and the Indiana Fever.
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“People act like we just make this shit up,” Gray wrote candidly in an Instagram Story posted earlier this week (seen above), making her point clear by adding, “And the audacity to tell us as athletes to ‘shut up and dribble.’” The comment derives from physical contact made between Gray and the Fever’s viral star player, Caitlin Clark, during the aforementioned game on July 13. As Clark, 24, at one point went to block Gray, 33, a foul was called on the former while simultaneously resulting in an elbow to the stomach by the latter. Even with Clark’s protests, the call was upheld as a common foul. Even as the Fever took home an impressive 109-75 win, Gray still had to experience the double whammy of also being called The N-Word.
Many recalled a recent incident, also involving Caitlin Clark, where Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas spoke out on the digital attacks she received in the days following her one-game suspension on June 24 for a foul on Clark, where pressure was put on her neck. Although Thomas assured it was simply an accident, it didn’t stop critics from calling her everything from a “thug” to some making actual death threats.
In Gray’s case, the man who sent the racist message has reportedly been fired by his employer, Hilton Grand Vacations. A statement released by the company yesterday (July 14) reads in part, “The person responsible for posting this information is no longer with the company,” also adding, “His behavior was in violation of multiple company policies and does not reflect our company’s values in any way.”
While a collective bargaining agreement was made between players and the WNBA back in March of this year — enhanced security, tech support, enforced code of conduct on fans and protection through anti-hate campaigns are all part of the bill — athletes and supporters alike believe more can and should be done.
For what it’s worth, the Las Vegas Aces are standing strong behind their girl.
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