Red Panda, halftime show favorite, injured during Fever-Lynx game
The popular halftime show performer who goes by Red Panda fell off her unicycle and crashed to the court during intermission of the WNBA Commissioner's Cup final between the Indiana Fever and the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night, unable to finish her show.
There was no immediate word on the extent of her injuries. She appeared to be grabbing at her left wrist after the fall — she fell forward off the unicycle onto the court — and was helped off the floor by wheelchair.
In a video on social media after the game, Caitlin Clark gave a shoutout to the injured acrobat.
"Red Panda, if you're watching, we love you," said Clark, who did not play on Tuesday.
Red Panda, whose name is Rong Niu, is a Chinese American woman who comes from a family of performing acrobats. Her act is composed of her riding on her custom-built unicycle, which stretches about 8 feet above the court, and balancing custom-made bowls on her lower leg before flipping them atop her head.
She has performed at countless basketball games, including Game 5 of the NBA Finals last month in Oklahoma City.
The Fever topped the Lynx 74-59 in Tuesday's game, which didn't count toward the standings but awarded Indiana a $500,000 prize pool. The Lynx won last year's Commissioner's Cup.