Red Panda fractured left wrist after fall during halftime act at WNBA Commissioner's Cup game
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.
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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.
'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.
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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.
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, adding that Niu is definitely planning to come back for the start of next NBA season.
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This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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