A beloved fixture of basketball halftime entertainment, Red Panda, real name Rong Niu, suffered a frightening fall during her performance at the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup final on Tuesday night. The incident occurred less than a minute into her act at Target Center in Minneapolis, where the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx were facing off for the midseason title.
Known for her gravity-defying routine involving a towering unicycle and a cascade of spinning bowls, Red Panda lost her balance shortly after mounting her 7-foot-tall unicycle. Say she fell hard to the court and immediately clutched her left wrist, which appeared to take the brunt of the impact.
Medical personnel rushed to her aid as the crowd fell silent. Though she initially attempted to walk off with assistance, she was ultimately wheeled off the court in a wheelchair. According to reports, she was later seen leaving the arena in an ambulance.
Tatum, Hali, and now Red Panda
These injuries are getting out of control
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) July 2, 2025
Red Panda has been a staple of NBA, WNBA, and college basketball halftimes since the 1990s, earning a reputation as one of the most iconic and consistent performers in sports entertainment.
This isn’t the first time she’s faced injury. In 2015, she broke her arm during a practice fall, an incident that nearly led to her retirement. But she returned to the stage, continuing to perform well into her 50s, defying both age and gravity.
At the time of writing, no official update has been provided on the extent of her injuries.
