Shaq's daughter accepted UF's offer, declining LSU's, to continue her education.

Me'Arah O'Neal, the youngest daughter of NBA superstar Shaquille O'Neal, has made the decision to attend the University of Florida, where she will play college basketball for the Lady Gators.

ESPNW's top 100 athletes for the Class of 2024 ranked the six-foot-four guard No. 33 overall, and she had plenty of options to choose from. She had offers from Arizona State, Baylor, California-Berkeley, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, and even her father's alma mater, LSU.

When she visited the Gators program in September, O'Neal knew she had made the right decision. She found a connection with Coach Kelly Rae Finley that she didn't find anywhere else.

“I went on the Florida visit, and I had a feeling that’s where I belonged,” O’Neal said. “And that I was going to be most successful if I went to go play at Florida. 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.”

O'Neal will be joining the No. 16 prospect, Alivia McGill, as well as guard/forward Kylee Kitts at the program. ESPN reported that O'Neal's father beamed with pride for the path she had chosen for herself.

Shaquille O'Neal took her to his alma mater in Baton Rouge, LA, last spring, but she followed her own instincts and chose Florida. He encouraged her to go where she was needed, not just wanted.

“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,’” Shaquille O’Neal said. “I want [my kids] to have their own journey, have their own experience.”

O'Neal, whose brother Shareef made the decision to leave college and enter the NBA Draft in 2022, was determined to make her own decision about her athletic future. While she welcomed the support of her family, PEOPLE reported that she was confident in her own choice.

“I was pressuring myself to make a decision, but I learned I had to be patient. And I did make this decision on my own,” she said.

Me'Arah O'Neal is now ready to make her own legacy and is looking forward to her collegiate career. Her father is proud of her for taking charge of her own future and embarking on her own journey.

[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]