SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Kelli Tennant is suing Sacramento Kings coach Luke Walton, alleging sexual assault.
Tennant is a former sports reporter for multiple networks who covered Los Angeles sports. Her claim of sexual assault dates back to when Walton was an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors.
Walton's attorney, Mark Baute, called the allegations "baseless."
"The accuser is an opportunist, not a victim, and her claim is not credible," Baute said in a statement. "We intend to prove this in a courtroom."
Here's what to know:
1. Who is Kelli Tennant?
Name: Kelli M. Tennant
Age: 31
Job: Host of the Ceremony Wellness podcast, former sports reporter, and has been previously affiliated with SportsNet LA, PAC 12 networks, FOX Sports, and E! News.
Education: Graduate of the University of Southern California, graduate of Chaparral High School in Temecula.
2. Tennant was a volleyball player at USC until she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia around 2007.
Tennant was a USC Trojan who played two seasons of volleyball from 2005 to 2006, however, she was sidelined in 2007 after being diagnosed with fibromyalgia. She retired at the end of that season.
Her passion for volleyball extends back into her high school years, where she was listed as a FAB 50 recruit by Volleyball Magazine and listed on the Los Angeles Times All-Star Girl's Volleyball Team.
3. She has worked for major networks covering sports and the Los Angeles Lakers.
According to her legal filing, Tennant was hired by ESPN at the age of 21 for a college volleyball analyst role. After working at other networks, she moved to a position with Time Warner/Spectrum Sportsnet in Los Angeles where she covered teams in Los Angeles.
She rose to a lead host position of Lakeshow, a pregame show for the Lakers, which also had Walton serve as an analyst for Lakers’ games.
She's built a Twitter following of 20,500 followers, an Instagram following of 36,700 followers, and a Facebook following of 3,944.
4. She hosts Ceremony Wellness, a podcast about "modern healing and ancient wisdom."
The podcast features her alongside voices in health, wellness, and spiritual development. She and guests discuss healing remedies and "alternatives to the traditional path" for people on "healing journeys."
The podcast is building to a live event called "Ceremony Wellness: Live" in October.
5. She's a published author, with a book on Amazon
Tennant published a book called "The Transition: Every Athlete's Guide to Life After Sports." It is meant to help guide student-athletes transition into a world after sports and features a foreword by Walton.
According to an Amazon "About the Author" editorial review, Tennant's experiences after retiring from volleyball and transitioning to be a "normal student" encouraged her to help other athletes with their own transitions.
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