The Sixth Player

Ella Bell has always felt trapped in her hometown of Plymouth, Massachusetts-trapped by parents who made her feel like she would never be enough, no matter how hard she tried. Desperate to put distance between herself and their constant scrutiny, Ella transferred from Boston College to UCLA in her junior year. Her uncle Chris, head coach of the UCLA women's basketball team, offered her a place to stay while he lives with his girlfriend at her beach house. It's not perfect, but it's freedom. Luckily, her childhood best friend Liv also attends UCLA, making the transition a little easier. Still, Ella's plan is simple and strict: 1.Stay under the radar, 2. Focus on school, 3.Keep her circle small. The last thing she needs is to end up at some wild party, splashed across social media, giving her parents an excuse to drag her back to Boston-back to the family dinners filled with passive-aggressive questions and judgmental stares. Everything is going according to plan... until Emma Bennet walks into her life.

Emma has been labeled a wild child for as long as she can remember. She thrives in the chaos of parties, loves the buzz of a crowd, and craves the adrenaline of competition-but at the core of it all is basketball. She turned down multiple D1 offers before committing to UCLA, where she became a starter her freshman year and has since stacked up accolades, trophies, and endorsement deals like trading cards. Now a junior, her sights are set on winning a national championship. Emma keeps her inner circle tight-burned too many times by people who only wanted her for her fame. That is, until the day she walks into the campus cafeteria and locks eyes with Ella Bell.

Their worlds couldn't be more different: Emma's dodging paparazzi, and Ella's dodging group texts and social invites. But somehow, they click. Against all odds, Ella finds real friendship-and more-among the girls on the basketball team, and Emma finds herself opening up to someone who doesn't want anything from her but her time and honesty.

But nothing perfect lasts forever. There's always a complication. Always someone or something threatening to pull it all apart.