Me’Arah O’Neal’s move to join the Florida Gators over LSU wasn’t carved out of legacy, but a decision backed by belief and faith. Her trust and ‘connection’ with Kelly Rae Finley were all it took for her to make that tough decision.

The instincts proved true: O’Neal thrived under Finley for two years until the Gators moved on from the latter last week. Now, amid this precarious situation, O’Neal recently reflected on what made Finley stand out from others.

Speaking on Free Game- An EssentiallySports Originals featuring O’Neal and KN’isha Godfrey, the Gators’ sophomore raved about a routine where Finley went a step beyond the court to help her on-court performances.

“It was actually my freshman year, summer, we had lift, and we had to be there at 6 a.m., and if you know me, I cannot wake up to save my life,” O’Neal said. “I’ve gotten better, but anything between like 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., like everybody got to be checking in on me, like you up? Coach be calling me all the time.”

Kelly Rae Finley didn’t stop there; she even asked O’Neal teammates if she was awake to make sure her top-tier recruit didn’t miss a single training session. “Yeah, sometimes she’d call me and be like, ‘Hey, you called your girl?” like, yeah, I did, she’s good,” O’Neal’s teammate and Gators senior Godfrey said.

Under Finley, Me’Arah O’Neal improved immensely on the court. The difference in her stats proves it. From being a bench player in her freshman year, the Gators’ sophomore has gone on to start all 33 games she has played this season. Additionally, she is averaging much higher across all metrics than she did last season.

From averaging 4.8 points and 3.9 rebounds in her freshman year, O’Neal has recorded 13.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game this year, while also shattering a few records of her father, Shaquille O’Neal, in the process.

In an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports in December, O’Neal shed light on how the people helped her take her game to the next level. “I’m a people person,” O’Neal said. “I feed off energy. If I’m not digging your energy, it’s just going to throw me off. I really don’t do well with that type of stuff. Good people and a good environment make everything else fall into place, and that is what I have here.”

Unfortunately for O’Neal and Finley, that fairytale run is now over. Despite impressive showings from O’Neal and Liv McGill, the truth is, a perfect season has yet to materialize for the Florida Gators under Finley. The Gators haven’t been to a single March Madness since Finley’s first year at the helm. On top of that, the program is again trending toward keeping this record intact this season.

As a result, the Gators decided to move on from Finley ahead of the March Madness. Me’Arah O’Neal’s team lost in the second round of the SEC tournament, eliminating hopes of their automatic qualification to the Big Dance. Along the same lines, Gators’ at-large qualification chances also hang by a thread, courtesy of their disappointing 17-14 regular season.

Yet despite that, there’s not a shade of negativity in the team atmosphere of the Florida Gators.

Me’Arah O’Neal Reflects on Her Experience of Being Around Her Teammates

Despite the team’s inconsistent season and coaching change, O’Neal explained on the ‘Free Game’ podcast how the players have found solace in their bond.

“I feel like it’s totally different from last year,” O’Neal said. “I just feel like everyone’s so genuine and everyone is just freely themselves, and I like that so much. So many different personalities and backgrounds, but we get along so well. And I know, I love y’all, I love being around you’all.”

A glimpse of the team’s close bond can be understood just by watching O’Neal and KN’isha Godfrey’s conversations in the podcast. Their conversation gives more of a sisterly vibe rather than that of teammates.

Notably, the Gators’ disappointing run cannot in any way undermine O’Neal’s performance as a sophomore this season. The Gators guard is in a perfect position to carve a basketball legacy of her own, separate from her legendary father. But, coming into her third season later this year, the pressure would increase on her.

With greater expectations and responsibility under a new coach and with several seniors departing, she will be expected to lead. It will be interesting to see how the Gators’ No.8 adapt to these challenges next season.