Who is NBA Red Panda? Caitlin Clark and more react to Chinese acrobat’s fall during halftime show

Red Panda, the iconic halftime acrobat, suffered a serious left wrist injury while performing stunts at the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship game. Minneapolis hosted the game on July 1, 2025.

According to E! News, her real name is Rong Niu. She is widely known for her fearless, thrilling halftime unicycle act. During her showcases, she flips dishware while balancing on a unicycle.

Following her left wrist injury at the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship, the WNBA community and fans flooded her with support and wishes. Caitlin Clark was among the well-wishers to express her love.

X (formerly Twitter) user @stoolpresidente shared a merged video of the Chinese acrobat’s severe fall from her damaged unicycle and Caitlin’s wishes for her.

He captioned the post,

"There is class and then there is class. In the middle of celebrating the very prestigious Commissioners Cup title and with an injury Caitlin Clark takes time to wish Red Panda a speedy recovery after yesterday’s scary fall."

Caitlin Clark and her teammates expressed concern over Red Panda's injury

As E! News cited, Clark joined her teammate Sydney Colson’s Instagram Live session to speak about the acrobat. She shared,

”Red Panda, we love you. If you’re watching, we love you."

Other team members also joined the live to wish the entertainer the best for her recovery.

On Tuesday, the renowned acrobat was performing during the halftime at the Indiana Fever vs. Minnesota Lynx game. ESPN detailed the unfortunate accident, stating that Red Panda fell straight from a considerable height, resulting in a wrist injury, as E! News later confirmed.

While she attempted to exit the court, she could not walk properly. Soon, a team of professionals helped her with a wheelchair and took her off the platform.

According to CBS News, Red Panda spent around 11 hours in a Minneapolis hospital undergoing check-ups and treatment. The outlet cited her agent, Patrick Figley, saying,

”She is very grateful. Red Panda thanks everyone for all the kind wishes and support. It means the world to her."

She was later released from the hospital and was en route home. She would need a few months to recover.

Everything we know about the NBA-famed Red Panda

The performer’s journey with NBA halftimes began in 1993. Since then, she has appeared in hundreds of basketball games, showcasing her charismatic unicycling act.

Over the past decades, she has prominently established herself as one of the sports industry’s beloved figures. Dime Magazine once named her “the best halftime act in basketball,” Reuters reported.

A look at his younger days

According to a South China Morning Post (SCMP) report, Rong was born in central China’s Shanxi province. The passion for performing acrobatics runs in her family.

She, a fourth-generation acrobat from China, followed in the footsteps of her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Her journey with learning the skill began at the age of 7.

While her father, GuiZhang Niu, accompanied her in the initial years of learning acrobatics, he guided and supported her early training. At 14, she took the pace forward by joining the Shanghai Acrobatics Troupe for international tours.

As the outlet reported, she shifted to San Francisco a few years later at 19. Later, Rong Niu chose Red Panda as her stage name so that people could remember her.

Reflecting on her stage name, as the South China Morning Post reported, she said,

"Red is the colour of China, and pandas symbolise China. Putting these two words together represents China well."

A look at her performances

Red Panda made her professional debut in November 1993. She showed her expertise at a Los Angeles Clippers game’s halftime. Her performance for a few minutes impressed the audience and opened doors to further exciting opportunities in the NBA. Later, she participated in around 40 NBA games from 1994 to 1995.

The South China Morning Post confirmed that Red Panda made around US$5,000 for each show, according to a United States Entertainment and Sports Programming Network report.

A look at her participation in reality shows

In 2013, Niu was a part of Season 8 of America’s Got Talent. Her journey concluded in the semifinals. Though she left the show in the quarterfinals due to her dad’s illness, she rejoined as a wildcard entry.

In 2025, she appeared on Series 18 of Britain’s Got Talent. This year, too, her stint ended in the semifinals.

A look at the setbacks she faced in her career

Red Panda’s acrobat career has encountered several obstacles, including her personal injuries and her father’s ill health.

Before her recent left wrist injury, she suffered from a first left-wrist fracture over a decade ago. And in 2018, she fell off her unicycle during Game 3 of the NBA Finals. However, she did not sustain any injury that time.

Her father got his oesophageal cancer diagnosis in 2013. The unexpected news led to her departure from the games and performances. After his death, Niu took a long break from everything and secluded herself.

In October 2015, she finally made her comeback to performing for the NBA halftimes. After she returned to executing her talent again, she expressed how she was not eyeing quitting on her passion anymore. She explained,

"Every time before I perform and after I finish, I think of my father. His teachings gradually grow into new insights."

She further added:

"If you’ve put your heart and soul into something, even if it’s something different from what most people do, do not give up easily."

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