NBA half-time star Red Panda suffers wrist fracture, back for next season

South China Morning Post

2 days ago

Good news, basketball fans: Red Panda intends to be ready for next season.
The popular performer who
fell off her unicycle and crashed to the court during half-time of the WNBA Commissioner's Cup final between the Indiana Fever and the Minnesota Lynx, has a broken left wrist and will need further consultation with an orthopaedic surgeon, her representatives said on Wednesday.
Red Panda – whose real name is Rong Niu – spent 11 hours in a Minneapolis hospital, with a pair of Lynx staffers there with her the entire time, agent Patrick Figley said. The Chinese-American acrobat was heading home for treatment and recovery, which should take a few months.
'She is very grateful,' Figley said. 'Red Panda thanks everyone for all the kind wishes and support. It means the world to her.'
The fall was caused by part of her unicycle being damaged during transit, Figley said.
The Fever won the game in Minneapolis, and during their postgame locker room celebration, Indiana star Caitlin Clark was among those – on teammate Sydney Colson's live stream on Instagram – to send Red Panda well-wishes.