Popular performer Red Panda ready to make NBA return, roughly 4 months after breaking wrist in fall

By Canadian Press on November 4, 2025.

Red Panda wasn’t on the injured list for very long.

The popular halftime performer is scheduled to make her NBA return on Tuesday night in Chicago when the Bulls host the Philadelphia 76ers. She broke her left wrist during a July 1 performance at the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup final between the Indiana Fever and the Minnesota Lynx.

Red Panda — whose real name is Rong Niu — spent 11 hours in a Minneapolis hospital after the fall. Her agent, Patrick Figley, said Tuesday that Niu first returned from the injury on Oct. 23 for an Amazon Prime event and she has also made a few appearances at universities.

The Chinese American performer’s act is composed of her riding on the unicycle and balancing custom-made bowls on her lower leg before flipping them atop her head.

She has been a mainstay at countless NBA and college basketball games over the past several years, including Game 5 of the NBA Finals in June in Oklahoma City.

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AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to this story.

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

David Brandt, The Associated Press

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