Red Panda, legendary halftime performer, injured after fall during performance at Lynx vs. Fever game

The beloved halftime show performer suffered a fractured wrist

By Shakiel Mahjouri

Jul 2, 2025 at 6:43 pm ET • 1 min read

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A major injury occurred during Tuesday's WNBA Commissioner's Cup final between the Minnesota Lynx and Indiana Fever. But the injury did not involve a player; it was iconic halftime performer Red Panda.

Red Panda, whose real name is Rong "Krystal" Niu, injured her left wrist after falling off her unicycle early in her legendary unicycle and bowls routine at Target Center in Minneapolis. According to The Associated Press, Niu fractured the wrist and was released from a local hospital on Wednesday.

Niu, who has to use a ladder to mount her 7-foot tall unicycle, was holding the wrist while being helped off the court. At first she was on her feet, but later required the assistance of a wheelchair, as seen in a video posted by The Athletic's Ben Pickman.

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. pic.twitter.com/SC7YtSb6NV
— Ben Pickman (@benpickman) July 2, 2025

According to The Athletic, Niu was seen leaving the arena in an ambulance.

Niu is a popular acrobat who has become a legend of the halftime performance circuit, appearing at NBA, WNBA and college basketball games for decades. Her first NBA game was in 1993.