Popular halftime performer Rong “Krystal” Niu — better known by her stage name, Red Panda — fractured her left wrist in a fall less than a minute into her halftime act in Tuesday night’s WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship game between the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx in Minneapolis.
Niu fell from her custom-built, elevated unicycle. Her manager, Pat Figley, said in a statement to The Athletic that Niu fell due to the left pedal of her unicycle being damaged while in transit. She was treated before leaving the court in a wheelchair and being transported to a local hospital. Niu spent 11 hours at a local Minnesota hospital while undergoing a medical procedure. Figley added that Niu likely will have a second surgery upon her return after meeting with orthopedic surgeons.
“Red Panda, wants me to Thank all of you for the kind wishes and support,” the statement said. “It means the world to her. She much appreciates from her heart the support she is receiving. We’ll keep you all posted.”
Niu, an acrobat originally from China, became a full-time performer at 12 years old. She introduced her act — which consists of flipping bowls on her head with perfect balance while riding the elevated unicycle — during an NBA game in 1993 and has become popular at the pro and college levels since. In addition to her performances in sports arenas, Niu has appeared on “America’s Got Talent” and “Britain’s Got Talent.”
–Field Level Media
