In her debut college basketball game, Me’Arah O’Neal recorded 5 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks against Flagler College at the Exactech Arena on Wednesday night in an exhibition game. The Gators won the game, 85-46. Now while Shaquille O’Neal doesn’t follow college basketball closely, he mentioned earlier this year that he was into women’s college basketball. Now we aren’t too sure if the NBA legend watched his daughter’s first game but, Shaunie Henderson is feeling like a proud mama!

The entire freshmen lineup, which included Me’Arah, collectively made 24 points for the team, and each recorded at least two rebounds. The debutant didn’t miss the chance to capture the moment, sharing photos from the game on Instagram. Similarly, Shaunie was quick to celebrate her daughter, with a comment:

“My baby girl!! 😍😍😍,” she wrote and also re-shared the post on her IG story.

The Gators didn’t hold back, securing a 44-22 lead by halftime, with senior Ra Shaya Kyle scoring a standout 21 points. At the same time, freshman guard Liv McGill and freshman wing, Me’Arah O’Neal also attracted attention. After all, this pair of McDonald’s All-Americans were the highest-rated recruits in program history. But what did the youngest O’Neal kid have to say about her performance?

“I mean, it’s only going to progress. I got three more years left, I just played my first game, and I got however many games left. It’s only going to progress,” she said after the win. In fact, this is in perfect sync with what Shaq said years ago.

Back in 2016, during his Hall of Fame speech, Shaquille O’Neal hinted that she could become the greatest women’s basketball player someday. “I don’t like to put pressure on my babies, but she works out with my sons, and I think it’s fair to say one day if she continues, Me’arah will be the best women’s basketball player ever. She’s that good,” he said. Me’Arah was only around 10 at the time, but his confidence in her potential was clear.

Reflecting on her game, Me’Arah described her style as “unique and versatile”. Unlike her dad’s role as a dominant center, she plays on the wing—a position she has honed by modeling her game after her brother, Shareef, now with the Sacramento Kings.

When Me’Arah O’Neal found support from Shaq and Shaunie

Reflecting on her biggest supporters back in 2023, she credited her father, Shaquille O’Neal, and mother, Shaunie Henderson, for being there every step of the way. “He sacrificed a lot just for me to play basketball,” Me’Arah shared, adding, “My mom as well; she’s a busy woman but still sacrifices a lot and is at almost every one of my games.”

“I want to inspire the younger generation or anybody just looking up to me: just follow your dreams and don’t stop,” Me’Arah had shared. While the college athlete has just started off, she did receive advice from those around her, and the first person to do so was her mom.

Shaunie’s advice to Me’Arah went beyond the court. Encouraging her to capitalize on her NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals, Shaunie pointed out in Feb. 2024 that college athletes, particularly women, can often earn more than WNBA players. “For the women, hold on to your college career and NIL money,” Shaunie advised.

“I think those college students who are able to get these NIL deals, ride it until the wheels fall off. If she can hold on to that NIL money and be in college and get a great education along with playing the sport she loves, then why not?” she opined.

And Shaunie’s point is well-backed. Shaquille O’Neal, now the president of Reebok Basketball, has seen firsthand how college athletes are changing the game financially. One example is Angel Reese, a former LSU player, who was earning around $1.7 million in NIL deals—far above the WNBA’s average salary of $241,000.

Now Me’Arah O’Neal’s college journey has started on a high note with the Florida Gators. It will be interesting to see how things turn out from here. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.