Me’Arah O’Neal, Shaq’s youngest daughter, is 11 games into her college journey with the Florida Gators and despite holding her own as a freshman, she might be a tad homesick.
In 10 games this season, the 6-foot-4 freshman is averaging 6.1 points per game, 4.8 rebounds and shooting 47.8 percent from the field for a Florida Gators team that plays in the tough SEC.
The Gators (7-4) blew out the Longwood Lancers (93-65) on Sunday, as they gear up to begin conference play. It was the team’s fourth consecutive win after dropping four in a row in November.
Shaquille O’Neal and Shauni Henderson’s Daughter Me’Arah Is A Freshman Baller at Florida
Shaquille O’Neal’s daughter has a well-balanced squad, and five players scored in double digits, but Me’Arah O’Neal was not one of them.
The 6-foot-4 guard/forward is going through the natural progression of developing and figuring out where she fits on a team with other top players.
Coming from Houston, Texas, where she was ranked the third-best prospect in the state in the 2024 recruiting class and fifth in the nation for her position by Prospects, she’s far away from home, her parents don’t attend every game, even though they are always watching, and she recently expressed that she misses some old friends and family.
Me’Arah reshared the story of a close friend of the family, who previously visited the Bahamas with her and Shaquille O’Neal in 2019. Shaq’s eldest sister Amirah was also present, along with four friends in the photo.
Is Me’Arah O’Neal Homesick?
She captioned, “i need to be back with them…like right now.” The Gators freshman also added, “my sisters for eternity.”
Shaq and Shaunie Henderson’s daughter might be going through some freshman blues and be a tad bit homesick.
After making that post, Me’Arah scored just 2 points in 15 minutes and missed both of her free throws in the blowout win. In the last five games, Me’arah, who also shoots 33 percent from three, has only scored in double digits once and has been held scoreless twice. So there’s a learning curve offensively for sure, but the genes are official, so she has a bright future.
With her family spread across so many parts of the world at times, the support is still always there in some form.
The Gators uploaded her highlights from the second quarter. The first one to repost that highlight was Shaquille O’Neal’s daughter with former partner Arnetta Yardbourgh, who wrote, “One of one,” in celebration of Me’Arah’s success.
Mom Shaunie Henderson, who was on a Dubai trip with her husband Keion Henderson was paying attention to her daughter’s progress, adding, “Baaaaabygirl!!.” after Me’Arah thwarted a scoring attempt from the opposition.
Having other siblings who are also embarking on their athletic collegiate journeys and parents who are totally living completely separate lives in divorce, makes it hard for one child to get the attention it may need in their journey. When both of your parents are business moguls, that makes seeing them even more difficult.
Shaunie Henderson Split Between Which Kids College Games To Attend
Me’Arah’s debut was a family affair and caused a lot of angst for her mom, who attended her daughter’s debut college game after having to decide whether to attend Me’Arah’s 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 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!”
If you recall, Me’Arah actually had one of her best games of the season with mom in the stands, producing a solid seven points, five rebounds and one assist in twenty minutes as the Gators beat the Florida Atlantic Owls 82-54. She dropped 14 against Hofstra on Dec. 2 and had 18 points and eight boards against an overmatched Chicago State team.
Shaq was in the building at her game against Marshall on Dec. 8.
Freshman Me’Arah O’Neal Is A Defensive Force, Cornerstone Piece For Kelly Rae Finley’s Rising Florida Gators
The 18-year-old is going to be a force to be reckoned with. She’s also growing up and walking in some huge hoops shadows, so we might miss the fact that with her lack of scoring, she is also fourth on the rebounds list, second for 3-point shooting, and leads the team in blocks per game. She’s earning her spot and doing what is asked to win.
Her coach, Kelly Rae Finley has invested plenty in Me’Arah, even getting her to go against her father’s wishes and turn down his alma mater, LSU.
“I felt like I connected with Coach Kelly more than I connected with any of the other schools that recruited me. She really cares about me not just on the court but off the court. That’s important for me,” Me’Arah told ESPN.
Shaq says he “tried to stay out of” his daughter’s decision on a university, even after calling her visit to LSU “one of the best moments” of his life while speaking with ESPN.
“What I did tell her is, ‘Go where you’re needed, not where you’re wanted. Because if you go where you’re wanted and they got other people like you, may take a while.’ I want [my kids] to have their own journey, have their own experience,” Shaquille said.
Me’Arah is doing that, and it might be time for an O’Neal and co. family trip to Florida to see baby girl do her thing live.
Something tells this observer that on Jan. 19, when the Gators face Flau’Jae Johnson and LSU at home, Shaq and family will be in the building along with his Reebok beauty Angel Reese, former MOP in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
