A man has lost his job after he allegedly sent a racist message to WNBA player Dearica Hamby on social media, according to a report from the New York Post.
Hamby, a forward for the Los Angeles Sparks, posted a screenshot of the offensive direct message on X, asking her followers, “Anyone know this number?” The message reportedly read: “Dirty ass n*gger. They should put you in a zoo. Animal,” followed by a monkey emoji.
Social media users quickly identified the phone number and traced it to an employee of Acclaro Medical, a Rhode Island-based medical device company. Acclaro Medical initially suspended the employee while it investigated the incident, but later confirmed to the media that the individual had been fired.
In a statement, Acclaro Medical said it “condemns racism, harassment, hate speech and discriminating behavior in all forms.” The company did not publicly identify the former employee.
The WNBA also issued a statement in support of Hamby, saying the league “stands unequivocally with Dearica Hamby and condemns the racist abuse directed at her in the strongest possible terms. We are committed to holding anyone who engages in such abhorrent behavior accountable, and this individual will be permanently banned from all league games and events.”
Hamby’s post had amassed more than 9.5 million views by Thursday morning, according to the report.
Incident Follows On-Court Ejection
The racist message came just days after Hamby was ejected from a game against the Connecticut Sun. Hamby, a three-time All-Star, was assessed a flagrant 2 foul after elbowing Sun rookie Raegan Beers in the face. The flagrant 2 carried an automatic ejection. Beers did not return to the August 22 game after sustaining a jaw injury on the play.
Hamby has not publicly commented on the firing, but her initial post asking for help identifying the sender highlighted the growing problem of online abuse directed at athletes, particularly women of color.
The case underscores the real-world consequences of online harassment, as employers and leagues increasingly take action against individuals who target public figures with hateful messages.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2026/09/03/man-loses-job-after-reportedly-sending-racist-message-to-wnbas-dearica-hamby/