Me’arah O’Neal, daughter of NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, recently made her collegiate debut with the Florida Gators.
The 2024 No. 33-ranked player, who was also the third-ranked prospect from the state of Texas, didn’t disappoint. After performing well in the Gators exhibition with six points and five rebounds, O’Neal was even better in the Gators first real game.
Shaquille O’Neal’s Daughter Me’arah Shines Early For Florida
This time around, O’Neal went for a solid seven points, five rebounds and one assist in twenty minutes as the Gators beat the Florida Atlantic Owls 82-54.
In many ways O’Neal’s improvement is no surprise, especially when you consider the lineage and legacy attached to her name.
Me’arah’s debut was a family affair as mom Shaunie Henderson attended the game after having to decide whether to attend her game or brother Shaqir’s game with FAMU. Henderson reportedly watched her son’s game from her phone while supporting Me’arah in person.
Henderson Pens Note To Both Children Prior To Debut
As she made the ultimate decision to attend Me’arah’s game over Shaqir’s Henderson took to Instagram to talk about the struggle of having to choose one child over the other.
“The moments I wish I could split myself in half… Both my babies game openers tonight. I’ll be sitting in the stands watching one while holding my phone watching the other. MOTHERHOOD! I love every minute of it. Cheering for both at the time!”
The Big Names Of WCBB Also Shined
While O’Neal put up a solid stat line in her collegiate debut, other stars like JuJu Watkins and Flau’Jae Johnson did what they always do. Watkins, the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year went for 27 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and five blocks in her sophomore season debut. The No. 3 Trojans needed every bit of it in escaping a scrappy Ole Miss team 68-66 in Paris, France.
UConn star Paige Bueckers led the Huskies to an 89-49 exhibition win over Fort Hays by going for 27 points, nine rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal. She went 12 of 14 from the field and 3-for-4 from three. The dynamic playmaker also began the game by going 8 of 8.
Johnson got off to a sizzling start in LSU’s season-opening 95-44 win over Eastern Kentucky. The femcee hooper went for 25 points, five rebounds and two assists.
She also found time to get up and hit the stage with Lil Wayne at Weezyana Fest.
