Red Panda suffers scary fall during WNBA halftime show
A mishap occurred during Tuesday night's WNBA Commissioner's Cup Championship clash between the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx. One of the best halftime performers the sports world has ever seen suffered an injury in Minneapolis' Target Center. Acrobat Rong 'Krystal' Niu, better known by the name Red Panda, rides a 7-foot-tall unicycle while flipping and balancing bowls on her head. She fell early during her act and eventually left in an ambulance, according to The Athletic's Ben Pickman and Chantel Jennings.
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Red Panda started to walk off the court while grabbing her back, before a wheelchair was brought out to assist her. Fans around the country are devastated to learn of this development. It is also quite shocking to see this one-of-a-kind talent fall, given the aura of invincibility she has built for herself after spending decades amazing NBA, WNBA and NCAA spectators, among others.
Red Panda first emerged in the United States during the 1990s and then expanded her following with a memorable run on the long-running competition show, 'America's Got Talent,' back in 2013. Niu had to withdraw from the quarterfinals due to personal reasons, but she left her mark on the stage and went on to become an even more prevalent presence at halftime shows. An NBA insider nicely described the remarkable and enduring impact this veteran entertainer has had on the industry.
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'She never expected to still be performing,' The Stein Line's Jake Fischer posted on X. 'A broken arm during practice almost led to Red Panda's retirement in 2015. The fact she's still been out there, crushing it, well past 50 years old, has been amazing. Hope she gets well soon and is back on the court.'
Red Panda recently performed in Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Finals, illustrating the type of appeal she continues to carry after all these years on tour.
Prayers are with Niu. Her supporters, of which there are many, earnestly await some good news.
Related: WNBA rumors: Houston still eyeing franchise despite expansion cities announcement
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Related: Week 6 WNBA power rankings: Have the Aces finally found their identity?
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