For the final time in the WNBA regular season, two of its biggest rookies faced off against each other. Shaquille O’Neal could never miss that. Of course, he’s there cheering for his ‘niece’ at the Chicago Sky home. For the first time since the 2024 WNBA draft, O’Neal is sitting courtside at a WNBA game to watch Angel Reese take on Caitlin Clark in the most hyped matchup of the regular season. It’s a very big deal that Shaq chose this late in the season to watch Reese play after attending several of her LSU games only a year ago.

He walked into the Wintrust Arena sporting a colorful outfit and eye-catching bling where he was asked how it felt to watch Reese play. “Very excited, it’s my first time watching her play as a pro,” O’Neal stated.

He’s not watched Clark play in college but Reese is the big draw for Shaq. The WNBA reporter asked how “impactful” has his bond with the Chi-Town Barbie been. Shaq went a step ahead. “She’s like a daughter to me. So I’m gonna protect her, I’ll call her, and I’ll just mess with her. But she’s great, she’s our daughter.”

Not an exaggerated statement. When she first entered the WNBA, Reese called Shaq a ‘father figure.’ She invited him on the LSU senior night to escort her. That’s usually an honor reserved for parents, and O’Neal had done the same for his own daughter, Me’Arah’s senior night a few weeks before that. They refer to each other as ‘unc’ and ‘niece’  often but anyone can see he treats her like his seventh kid.

Shaq’s not stepped on the court to ‘protect’ her as we imagine but he’s helped Reese with sound advice off it. Especially when she missed several games at LSU last season and was trolled online. Though he hadn’t attended any of her WNBA games before tonight, he has been watching and defending her from critics. Even if that critic is his TNT colleague, Charles Barkley.

Tonight, the Sky hosted ‘Barbie Night’ in honor of their star rookie. Shaq stuck to the theme too in a colorful Ken-inspired shirt, Diesel-ified with his signature accessories of a massive crown necklace and sunglasses. Just one of the many ways he’s shown support for his girl.

Shaquille O’Neal’s finally watching his ‘daughter’ play

Shaquille O’Neal met Angel Reese after she won their alma mater’s first NCAA championship. He was her vocal defender before that and took her under his wing from the first meeting. She was his first signing as Reebok’s new president of basketball operations and he set her above himself in LSU history.

For most of 2023, O’Neal was at LSU games watching Reese play. He’s, however, not been to any WNBA games despite the incentive to watch his favorite rookies play (he’s a huge fan of Cameron Brink too). Can’t blame him, he was occupied with the NBA playoffs, rallying to keep the NBA on TNT, and filming Lucky 13 while simultaneously on the Summer of Bass tour.

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While Shaq wasn’t present, Reese came quite close to his double-double NBA record in her first 22 career games. Recently she surpassed his back-to-back all-time 20+ rebounds record. O’Neal didn’t directly comment on it but he did share posts celebrating her record on his social media.

They’re colleagues at Reebok now as well as two Hersheys ambassadors and collaborating under The Big Podcast Network. It’s all looking a lot like a father-daughter empire now.