Shaq’s daughter Me'Arah O'Neal drops 4-word reaction to Florida’s away game vs Texas A&M
Florida Gator Me'Arah O'Neal had a little extra motivation heading into UF's road game at SEC opponent Texas A&M.
Me'Arah, the daughter of basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal, shared an Instagram post before the game. For O'Neal, a game with A&M represents something near a hoops homecoming.
"Back in tx baby," she wrote in her Instagram story.
Me'Arah's Texas roots
The 6-foot-4 Me'Arah hails from Houston, Texas. She played her prep basketball at Episcopal High in Houston, paving her way to Top 50 status as a high school recruit.
Of course, it's all relative, as her father, Shaquille O'Neal, also grew up in Texas. Like his daughter, Shaq played in the SEC, but at a school outside his home state. Of course, in Shaq's day, Texas and Texas A&M weren't in the SEC.
Me'Arah's return performance
The Gators had an easy time in their road trip, winning 74-52 over Texas A&M. For her part, Me'Arah had a solid game, notching up seven points, grabbing a pair of rebounds and dishing an assist in the victory. The Gators leaned heavily on a 21-4 second quarter to claim the win.
Me'Arah O'Neal's career
In her freshman campaign, Me'Arah's production has been solid, if not quite as explosive as her father's. Coming into Thursday, she averaged 5.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. She connected on 14 3-pointers, more than her father has probably made in his entire life.
Me'Arah has delivered some big moments. She had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds against Hofstra in December. Her season scoring best is 19 points, earned in 22 minutes in a recent win over Arkansas. O'Neal started the first seven games of the season but has started just once since then.
Florida's season
The Gators are just 14-13 on the year despite the win over Texas A&M. Coach Kelly Rae Finley reached the NCAA Tournament in her first season at UF, 2021-22, but hasn't returned since then.
The best Florida season of women's hoops is 1997, when Florida won 24 games and reached the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight before bowing out.
While O'Neal draws plenty of attention, it's another UF freshman, guard Liv McGill, who leads the team in scoring at 16.5 points per game. While the Gators are a high scoring team, averaging almost 77 points per game, they also average 17 turnovers per contest.
What do you think of O'Neal's Texas homecoming? Share your take on Shaq's daughter below in our comments section: