Safe to say that basketball runs in the blood of the O'Neal family, as Shaq's youngest daughter, Me'Arah O'Neal, recently announced a step forward in her own collegiate career.

The 6'4 sophomore announced her decision to leave Florida to transfer to Kentucky on April 27. This decision comes after Me'Arah elected to enter the transfer portal last month.

While Me'Arah was one of the brightest spots of the program, the decision to fire head coach Kelly Ray Finley prompted her to explore different options as well. "I give thanks to you that I was marvelously set apart. Your works are wonderful—I know that very well. (‭‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139‬‬:‭14‬)" Me'Aarah wrote on Instagram.

Me'Arah seemed like a perfect fit for Florida's system, especially after her second year. She averaged 13.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game, shooting 53 percent overall from the field and connecting on 38 percent of her three-point attempts.

The 20-year-old also started the season on a high, recording double-doubles in each of her first three games and earning SEC Co-Player of the Week honors in late December.

However, Kentucky is a change for the better for Me'Arah. Last season, head coach Kenny Brooks guided the Blackcats to the Elite Eight with a record of 25-11.

This is a much better record than what Kelly Ray coached Florida to, finishing the SEC with a 5-11 record and an 18-15 overall record.

Moreover, Me'Arah will also be surrounded by better players, as the Kentucky program has a stacked roster for next season, including the likes of leading scorer Clara Strack, an all-SEC first-team selection, alongside guard Asia Boone.

Meanwhile, Shaquille O'Neal did not choose to hide his emotions upon hearing the news of her youngest daughter.

Shaquille O'Neal is All Praises for Her Youngest Daughter

Shaq was quick to like and repost Me'Arah's Instagram post announcing her new team, and her mother, Shaunie Henderson, commented on the post with a gif that read, "Let's Go!!!"

"My baby is the best athlete in the family because she can do it all. She's not an old-school player. She's the new pick-your-type player, so I'm going to give her the title. She can shoot, she can dribble. She can't be fazed when it comes to certain things." The 54-year-old said on "The Big Podcast with Shaq".

Apart from Me'Arah, the O'Neal family houses other basketballers as well. Her brothers Shareef and Shaqir played in college, and her sister Amirah played at LSU and Texas Southern.

Although Shaq believes that Me'Arah is the best of the lot, he also wishes he could shoot like her.

In what is already one of the most formidable SEC teams, Me'Arah's inclusion as a cornerstone for the program will further propel her career. We might eventually see her in the WNBA as well.

So, do you think Me'Arah O'Neal can become a generational player like her father with this move to Kentucky as the first step to success?

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Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Souvik Roy