Me'Arah O'Neal, Florida squad brighten kids' day with heartwarming gesture

When she committed to the Florida Gators, NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal's daughter Me'Arah O'Neal arrived in Gainesville with huge expectations due to her father's stellar career. She had a mixed first season in college basketball, with injuries limiting her involvement.

On Thursday, Me'Arah and her Gators teammates took time off during their offseason and joined an initiative alongside 'Florida Victorious' in a surprise visit to young girls at the Alachua Academy. The facility houses teenage delinquents being rehabilitated by the state.

In the clip, Me'Arah O'Neal and her teammates interacted with the girls in one-on-one sessions and gave them advice, while the girls expressed their joy at interacting with the Gators players.

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Me'Arah O'Neal had a mixed season for Florida

Me'Arah O'Neal chose to join the Florida Gators over several other schools including her father, Shaquille O'Neal's alma mater, LSU Tigers, who aggressively recruited her. She was a McDonald's All-American from Episcopal High School, Houston and due to her illustrious father, there were masssive expectations on her before she had played her first college basketball game.

During her first season as a Gator, Me'Arah averaged 4.8 points on 42.5% shooting from the floor and 27.7% shooting from beyond the arc, 3.9 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 13.6 minutes per game. Her playing time was mostly restricted to a bench role.

Despite her mixed first season in college basketball, she revealed during an in-house interview that her connection with Florida coach Kelly Rae Finley was the deciding factor in her decision to join the Gators.

"I went on the Florida visit, and I had a feeling that's where I belonged, and that I was going to be most successful if I went to go play at Florida," Me'Arah said.

"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."

The Gators missed out on the 2025 NCAA Tournament and dropped down to the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament, where they reached the championship game, losing 66-52 to the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Me'Arah O'Neal tallied 6.0 points and 2.0 blocks in 11 minutes of game time.