A man is now officially out of a job after sending a racist text message to WNBA star Dearica Hamby last week.
The man was initially only suspended from his position at medical technology company Acclaro Medical after Hamby, who currently plays for the Los Angeles Sparks, shared a screenshot on her X account of a text message sent by him that included a monkey emoji.
After further investigation into the matter, Acclaro Medical fired the former employee, USA Today reported.
“Dirty ass ni—r,” the text sent to Hamby said. “They should put you in a zoo. Animal.”
Hamby’s social media followers quickly identified the alleged person tied to the phone number seen in her screenshot.
It did not take long for many social media users to applaud the man’s firing online.
“Do stupid things, win stupid prizes. Every time,” X user @Kapitalizzum wrote about the reported firing. “The universe does not have a sense of humor.”
It is unclear what prompted the man to send Hamby the text message or how he obtained her phone number.
The man who sent the text message to Hamby was identified online as an employee of Acclaro Medical, which is based in Rhode Island. The company initially responded to the incident in a statement.
“Acclaro Medical is aware of the deeply disturbing situation on social media,” it said in a statement. “The Company wants to be unequivocally clear that it condemns racism, harassment, hate speech and discriminating behavior in all forms.
“Most importantly, the online remarks and views do not in any way reflect the values and standards of the Company. Acclaro Medical sympathizes with everyone who has been affected by this situation.
“The Company takes this matter extremely seriously and is conducting a thorough investigation and are taking appropriate actions.”
Unfortunately, Hamby’s ordeal was not the first incident during the WNBA season that involved a player receiving a racist message.
Las Vegas Aces star Chelsea Gray shared screenshots of a racist direct message from a man on Instagram in July. This came after Gray was involved in a play with Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, who appeared to flop and fall to the ground while defending Gray.
The man who sent the message to Gray was eventually identified by social media users and subsequently fired by Hilton Grand Vacations.
Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas also reported receiving death threats and racist remarks online after she was suspended one game for a flagrant foul on Clark in June.
With four games left for the Sparks in the WNBA regular season, Hamby is averaging 14.5 points (55.2 percent shooting), 7.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists.
Following a break in the schedule so that some WNBA players can compete in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, the Sparks will finish the 2026 campaign beginning on Sept. 17 against the Dallas Wings.
However, Los Angeles (15-25) has already been eliminated from playoff contention. It is the sixth straight year that the Sparks have failed to qualify for the WNBA postseason, which is the longest active playoff drought in the league.
