Latest news with #RongNiu
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Red Panda suffered ‘severe' wrist fracture in halftime fall at WNBA game
While entertaining the crowd at Target Center in Minneapolis during the WNBA Commissioner's Cup final between the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx. Rong Niu, the popular halftime show performer known by the stage name Red Panda, suffered what her agent described as a 'severe fracture' of her left wrist in a fall. The injury occurred just after the acrobat, believed to be in her 50s, began her act.
New York Times
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Red Panda fractured left wrist after fall during halftime act at WNBA Commissioner's Cup game
Iconic halftime performer Rong 'Krystal' Niu, better known by her stage name Red Panda, sustained a severe fracture in her left wrist after falling at the beginning of her halftime act during Tuesday's night's WNBA Commissioner's Cup title game, her manager Pat Figley said in a statement to The Athletic. Advertisement Niu took a spill from her custom-built unicycle less than 30 seconds into her performance, which came in the middle of the Indiana Fever's matchup with the Minnesota Lynx. She was taken off the court in a wheelchair following the fall, and transported, via ambulance, to a local hospital. Figley said that Niu spent 11 hours at a local Minnesota hospital Tuesday night, where two members of the Lynx organization accompanied her while she underwent a medical procedure. Figley said that doctors recommended to Niu that she meet with additional orthopedic surgeons for the second part of her wrist repair upon her return home. Big halftime news in Minneapolis is that the great Red Panda's halftime act stopped less than a minute in as she fell off her unicycle. They're bringing a wheelchair over to her now. — Ben Pickman (@benpickman) July 2, 2025 'Red Panda wants me to thank all of you for the kind wishes and support,' Figley said in a statement. 'It means the world to her.' Figley said that the Niu fell due to the left pedal of her unicycle being damaged while in transit. In the aftermath of the fall, Niu received widespread support both in the arena and online as news of her accident spread. Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark and her teammates were among those who sent well-wishes to Niu as the team celebrated its 74-59 win, which came with a $500,000 prize. Niu, a fourth-generation acrobat originally from China, began performing full-time at 12 years old. She first performed during an NBA game in 1993 and has become a fan favorite over the ensuing three decades at the pro and college levels for her unique bowl-flipping act. In 2015, Niu suffered a broken arm in practice, yet she continued performing after completing her recovery. In addition to her performances inside sports arenas, Niu appeared in season eight of 'America's Got Talent' and season 18 of 'Britain's Got Talent,' reaching the semifinals. Advertisement In 2018, she was in the headlines when her unicycle — worth $25,000 — was stolen at a San Francisco airport. The Golden State Warriors later presented her with a replacement prior to a halftime performance in October 2018. 'She much appreciates from her heart the support she is receiving,' Figley said. 'We'll keep all posted.'
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Acrobat Red Panda takes scary tumble from elevated unicycle during WNBA halftime show
Acrobat Red Panda, seen performing at an October 2024 NFL game, took a nasty fall Tuesday night during a WNBA halftime show. (Danny Karnik / Associated Press) Red Panda, the popular halftime acrobat known for balancing bowls on her head while perched high on a unicycle, fell hard to the court Tuesday night while performing at the Commissioner's Cup final between the WNBA's Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx in Minneapolis. Riding on her custom-made unicycle at least 7 feet off the floor, Red Panda appeared to lose her balance early in her routine, then fell forward off her seat. She landed on her behind and immediately appeared to grab her left wrist. Advertisement Video footage shows her being helped to her feet and taking numerous steps with assistance before sitting back down on the court. A wheelchair was eventually brought out to help her off the floor. Read more: WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark finishes as the ninth-ranked guard in players' All-Star voting As of Wednesday morning, no updates on her status had been given. The Lynx directed questions toward a representative for Red Panda, who did not immediately respond to an email from The Times. Red Panda performs at halftime during a Clippers-Pelicans on Jan. 5, 2024, in New Orleans. (Tyler Kaufman / Associated Press) Born Rong Niu in Taiyuan, China, reportedly in the early 1970s, Red Panda is a fourth-generation acrobat who was first hired to perform during halftime at an NBA game by the Los Angeles Clippers in 1993. She has since been a staple at NBA games and numerous other athletic events, with her signature routine of using her feet to flip bowls onto her head while balancing high on her unicycle. Advertisement Niu suffered a broken arm more than a decade ago after falling backwards off her unicycle while practicing. At Game 5 between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder last month, Red Panda gave a quick list off the top of her head of all the NBA Finals at which she has performed. It was extensive. "Oh my God," she said. "I did it for L.A. I did it for Chicago Bulls — that's many years ago for the [Michael] Jordan years. And then, I did San Antonio, I did Boston, Warriors, Detroit. ... And now I'm in OKC." Without the services of injured superstar Caitlin Clark for the third straight game, Indiana defeated Minnesota 74-59 to win the Commissioner's Cup, the WNBA's in-season tournament, for the first time. As Fever guard Sydney Colsten live-streamed the players' locker room celebration, Clark leaned in front of the camera and wished the injured acrobat well. Advertisement "Red Panda, we love you," said Clark, whose sentiments were echoed by several of her teammates. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Daily Mail
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Legendary halftime performer Red Panda suffers shocking fall from her unicycle at Indiana Fever game
Legendary halftime performer Red Panda was taken to hospital on Tuesday night after suffering a heavy fall during the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx's WNBA Commissioner's Cup final. Red Panda, whose real name is Rong Niu, has made her famous unicycle show a staple of NBA, WNBA and college basketball games across America in recent years. The Chinese-American acrobat's popular routine involves her riding a seven-foot unicycle around the court while flicking bowls up with her feet and balancing them on her head, a skill which has made her a fan favorite in the US. However, on Tuesday night disaster struck when Niu fell from her unicycle and landed heavily on the ground, before she was helped up by a member of staff and escorted out of the arena. As she initially walked off, the 55-year-old held her right arm up to the crowd to reassure fans that she was ok, before a wheelchair was eventually brought out to take her off the court. Yet according to ESPN, a WNBA source confirmed that she was taken to hospital for further evaluation. It is unclear if she sustained any injuries, though she appeared to be holding her wrist as she left the court. — highlight hell (@HoopyHoops) July 2, 2025 Caitlin Clark jumps into Syd Colson's IG live to send recovery wishes to Red Panda, who fell off her unicycle during her halftime performance. Caitlin: Red Panda, if you're watching, we love you. 🫶 Syd: I don't think Red Panda's watching my shit. 🤣 — Myles (@MylesEhrlich) July 2, 2025 After the Fever claimed the Cup title with a 74-59 win over the Lynx, injured Indiana superstar Caitlin Clark paid tribute to Red Panda amidst their locker room celebrations. 'Red Panda, we love you,' Clark said on an Instagram live stream. The WNBA sensation received praise from Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy for thinking of Red Panda during the team's celebrations. Portnoy wrote on X: 'There is class and then there is class. In the middle of celebrating the very prestigious Commissioners Cup title and with an injury Caitlin Clark takes time to wish Red Panda a speedy recovery after yesterday's scary fall.' Red Panda, whose first appearance at an NBA game came all the way back in 1993, has fallen from her unicycle at a basketball match in the past. During Game 3 of the 2018 NBA Finals, the iconic entertainer went tumbling to the ground in similar fashion, only to land a lot more smoothly on her feet and continue with the performance.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who is Red Panda? Meet the legendary halftime performer
Red Panda has become one of the best halftime show attractions in the world, bringing her awesome brand of acrobatics to NBA, WNBA and college basketball courts for years. She also made it pretty far on America's Got Talent, proving what she does is universally beloved. And now, with the performer getting injured -- wishing her a speedy and full recovery! -- we wanted to give Red Panda her well-deserved flowers, especially for those of you who don't know much about her. Advertisement So let's dive in and help you get to know the woman known as Red Panda, who is an absolute legend! Who is Red Panda? Her real name is Rong Niu. She's the daughter of two Chinese acrobats, and her act is simple but wonderful: she gets on a unicycle and catches bowls on her head. On one occasion, she's had her unicycle stolen, though the Golden State Warriors offered to buy her a new one. How did Red Panda get injured? She fell off her unicycle at the Fever and Lynx game, something that's happened to her before in rare instances. How did Red Panda get her start? From Sports Illustrated in 2019: Red Panda's act forged forward. After collecting video from spectators, she spotted filming her performances, Niu delivered the clips to a professional editor, who cut a seven-minute highlight reel of GuiZhang's star. She ordered 1,000 copies, then stuffed the VHS tape and business cards into envelopes, blasting agents and venues across the map. Only her phone hardly rang. Neither Circus Circus nor Cirque du Soleil called. Finally, after one year, a talent agent named Reynold Clark dialed Niu the day before Thanksgiving 1993. One of his acts had sustained an injury, and the Clippers needed an immediate replacement for halftime the following evening. Within hours she jetted to Los Angeles. From there, she gained fame at various basketball arenas for years. Has Red Panda gotten injured before? Yes. This isn't just an easy act. She's broken her arm before. How did Red Panda do on America's Got Talent? She made it to the semifinals in Season 8 back in 2013 eventually as a Wild Card after withdrawing from the show to take care of her father, who had cancer. This article originally appeared on For The Win: Who is Red Panda? Halftime performer's history and unicycle act
