Me'arah O'neal Kentucky Transfer Adds 13.6-Point Scorer

Me'arah O'neal Kentucky Transfer became real Monday, when the Florida forward said she will move to Kentucky after two seasons in Gainesville. Kentucky gets a player who averaged 13.6 points per game in 2025-26, while Florida loses a contributor from an 18-15 team that missed the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.

Me'Arah O'Neal Chooses Kentucky

O’Neal announced the move on Instagram and paired it with a Bible verse: “I give thanks to you that I was marvelously set apart. Your works are wonderful—I know that very well. (Psalms 139:14)”. The transfer gives Kentucky a frontcourt scorer who also posted 6.4 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals per game last season.

She spent two seasons with Florida and increased her playing time in 2025-26, turning that larger role into double-digit production. For Kentucky, the addition comes after a 25-11 season that ended in the Elite Eight, with wins over James Madison and West Virginia before a loss to Texas.

Florida Loses A Two-Year Piece

Florida’s 18-15 finish left the Gators outside the NCAA bracket, and O’Neal’s departure removes one of the players who helped carry a broader load in a season that did not reach the tournament. Her scoring line was the kind of output Kentucky needed to find without waiting for a freshman leap or a late-season surprise.

The transfer also fits the modern college game that now runs through the portal, where roster changes can reshape a contender quickly. Kentucky is adding a proven production line; Florida now has to replace one after two seasons of it. Shaquille O’Neal previously said of his daughter, “My baby is the best athlete in the family because she can do it all,” and added, “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,” a praise that now follows her into Lexington.