In 2016, Shaquille O’Neal predicted during his Naismith Hall of Fame induction speech that his youngest daughter, Me’Arah O’Neal, would be the best women’s basketball player ever. She was 10 at the time. “My dad always tells me that pressure makes diamonds,” Me’Arah says. “I always try to keep that with me, especially in those moments where everyone is watching. I’m just trying to do me and make myself proud.”

Cut to 2025, Me’Arah is still well away from being the ‘best,’ but she is levelling up day by day. The Florida sophomore has just taken another step in that direction in her recent game. The 6’4 forward dropped a career high of 24 points in their recent win against the Memphis Tigers. She went 9-13 from the field and grabbed 9 rebounds. 

“MEEZY WENT CRAZY 😤 @mearahoneal_ with a new career high of 24 points!” the program wrote in collaboration with O’Neal while dropping highlights of her game. Sophomore guard Liv McGill had 27 points, six rebounds as Florida had a 74-60 win over Memphis. O’Neal and Co. held the Tigers to just 31.1 % from the field, along with the leading scorer, Chaé Harris, to just five points. Me’Arah was among the highlights of the night and just proved coach Kelly Rae Finley’s belief in her. 

“Me’Arah has grown more than anybody on our roster in many, many ways. Her buy-in to her process and her timeline, and her ability to quiet the outside noise, is elite. You all will be very pleased with what you see on the court from her this season and her growth everywhere. the speed of the game, the pace of the game.” Finley said before the season began. This performance seems just the beginning for her growth, and the fans are excited for Shaquille O’Neal’s daughter to finally announce herself on the big stage. 

Congratulations Pour In After Me’Arah O’Neal’s Career Night

“My girl!!!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥” wrote a fan. O’Neal could have easily not been a Gator. She visited the reigning champions at the time LSU, with her father, Shaquille O’Neal, who is a legend there. Other schools that recruited the four-star recruit included Arizona State, Baylor, UCLA, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, and Tennessee. However, Florida seemed the best for her progress, and it’s showing with her outstanding performances this season. 

“That’s awesome, congratulations 🔥🔥🔥🏀”  commented another fan. Me’Arah O’Neal has impressed for Florida so far, averaging 16.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 8 games into he season. The numbers are significantly up since her freshman season, when she averaged 4.9 points and 3.9 rebounds while starting 8 games. She has taken up a more active role as a part of the leadership group on this side. 

Another fan wrote in the same breath, “Keep leveling up, Lady 🔥🔥🔥.” While the night was record-breaking for O’Neal, she expressed her resolve to improve further. “There’s always something to improve on,” O’Neal said. Her outside shooting as a modern center needs some sharpening. This season, she has shot 7/26 from the three-point line (27%). Last year, she went 27.7%. 

“DOMINANT JUST LIKE THE BIG FELLA🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥” Appreciated another fan in all caps. Of course, the comparisons to her father are a given, and so far she has managed to keep out the noise. Her game is pretty similar to O’Neal’s but with a modern twist. She dominates the paint with her physicality and size. 

At 6’4, she has enough size, and her strength should increase with time. However, she is being developed as a more versatile and modern big man as compared to Shaq, who was a paint enforcer. “She’s really worked tirelessly on her overall strength, her conditioning. She might be one of the most skilled bigs in the country, in terms of her ability to shoot the three, go inside, outside, rebound, initiate the offense, and things of that nature.” Coach Finley has said. While corners remained to be sharpened, the potential is present. If she continues on this path, she could eventually land in Los Angeles when she takes that step to the WNBA, fulfilling her father’s legacy.