There is a new problem for anyone trying to keep up with the O’Neal family basketball highlights: the Big Fella is no longer the only one supplying them.
Me’Arah O’Neal delivered a standout performance for Kentucky on Wednesday, November 11, finishing with 18 points, eight rebounds, three assists and a block in the Wildcats’ 98–30 victory over Evansville.
She needed just 20 minutes.
Apparently, efficiency runs in the family. Although this version comes with a three-point shot and considerably less concern about whether the backboard will survive.
The junior forward made six of her seven field-goal attempts, including two three-pointers, and went a perfect four-for-four at the free-throw line.
Yes, perfect from the line. We will give Dad a moment to process that.
Her biggest scoring burst came at the start of the second quarter, when she supplied all 11 of Kentucky’s points over the opening three minutes and 12 seconds. That is one way to make sure nobody wanders off for a snack.
It was also a season-high scoring and rebounding night for Me’Arah, who joined Kentucky after two seasons at Florida.
For a player finding her place with a new team, that is an encouraging evening’s work. Score when the opportunity appears, help on the glass, move the ball and make the minutes count.
No elaborate explanation required. The stat sheet does a perfectly good job.
Shaq has already offered a much more personal assessment of her abilities. In previously shared comments from The Big Podcast with Shaq, he called Me’Arah “the best athlete in the family.”
That is a substantial title in a household where the résumé comparison includes four NBA championships.
He has praised her shooting and ballhandling, and spoken warmly about how proud watching her play makes him. Those remarks predate this particular performance, but Wednesday’s game certainly supplies fresh material for the family highlight collection.
We are not claiming to know what Shaq said when he saw these numbers. We are simply observing that an 18-point night on seven shots is excellent ammunition for a proud parent.
There is plenty to appreciate beyond the famous surname, too.
Me’Arah’s performance belongs to her. The shots, the rebounds and the decisions all came during her own minutes in a Kentucky uniform. The family connection gets attention; producing on the court gives people a reason to keep watching.
And she had plenty of company in a big Wildcats team effort. Freshman Emily McDonald scored 27 points and set a single-game school record with nine three-pointers as Kentucky improved to 4–0.
That makes this a particularly enjoyable chapter: an O’Neal playing well while contributing to a team with multiple reasons to celebrate.
For those of us who have spent years enjoying Shaq’s larger-than-life basketball personality, watching the next generation develop adds another layer of fun.
We can appreciate the family resemblance without demanding a carbon copy. Me’Arah has her own game, her own teammates and her own opportunities ahead.
On Wednesday, she made very good use of them.
Eighteen points. Eight boards. Two threes. A spotless night at the foul line.
Somebody leave a little extra space in the O’Neal family bragging department.