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Just 24 women’s basketball players are selected for the prestigious McDonald’s All-American Games, and the Gators will be doubly represented for the first time in program history – signees Liv McGill and Me’Arah O’Neal were both announced as part of the roster on Tuesday.

Basketball experts across the country selected the 24-woman roster based on fundamental skills, basketball IQ, competitive motor, potential for growth, and overall athleticism, so to have two Gators make the cut certainly speaks highly of the caliber of recruits head coach Kelly Rae Finley is pulling in. In a press release after the announcement, Finley praised the pair, saying, “They have both earned the opportunity to compete amongst the best players in the country and it’s exciting that they get to do it together. We are looking forward to seeing them on the same side of the court on April 2, and we hope Gator Nation tunes in to cheer them on!”

McGill and O’Neal were both Top 40 recruits on ProspectsNation and signed with the Gators back in November for the 2024-2025 season, and McGill is the highest-ranked recruit to ever sign with Florida. In their most recent seasons, the two athletes averaged 14 and 7.8 points per game, respectively. McGill’s success contributed to consecutive state championship final appearances for her high school, Hopkins, and O’Neal competed for EYBL club CyFair Elite.

Only two Lady Gators have been named to the McDonald’s All-American roster before, Laila Reynolds in 2023 and Ronni Williams in 2013. Reynolds will be a sophomore when McGill and O’Neal join the team, giving the ’24-’25 season the potential to be the Gators’ strongest year yet.

The McDonald’s game will be particularly special for O’Neal and her family, as her father – basketball great Shaquille O’Neal – was named to the men’s team in 1989. She’s the only one of her siblings who will share this experience with her dad, though several of them have also played high school and collegiate basketball.

Catch these future Gator standouts at the McDonald’s All-American Game on April 2 at 6:30pm on ESPN2.