Legendary performer Rong Niu—known by her stage name, Red Panda—suffered a terrifying fall from her unicycle less than a minute into her halftime act on Tuesday night at the 2025 Commissioner's Cup between the Indiana Fever and the Minnesota Lynx.
An outpouring of support came through for Niu, from fans and media alike as they awaited an update, and we have a statement from her. ESPN's Pat McAfee shared the following from Red Panda's team:
“Thank you very much to all NBA, WNBA, Universities, media individuals and her ever supporting fans for your kindness and concern," the statement read. "Last night at Lynx/Fever she took a fall at the very beginning of the show, due to [the] left paddle of her unicycle [being] damaged during transit, her left wrist was severely fractured at the same spot for the 2nd time. She was at the hospital for 11 hours last night. Hilton and Greta, from Minnesota Lynx, stayed with her at the hospital the entire night for her procedure. She is very grateful. She is on her way home now and the Doctors in Minneapolis have recommended that as soon as she gets home, she meet with an orthopedic surgeon for the 2nd part of repair."
"Red Panda, wants me to Thank all of you for the kind wishes and support," the statement continued. "It means the world to her. She much appreciates from her heart the support she is receiving. We’ll keep you all posted."
Best wishes to the legend for a speedy recovery.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Red Panda Releases Statement After Terrifying Fall During WNBA Commissioner's Cup.