Popular unicycle performer Red Panda injured at halftime of WNBA game
THOSE WE’VE LOST. AND THE TIME IS 1245. DEREK IS LIVE IN THE WEATHER CENTER, AND YOU’RE TRACKING TWO THINGS. AGAIN, THE RAIN AND THE HEAT. AND IT’S GOING TO KIND OF BE LIKE THAT THROUGH THE 4TH OF JULY HOLIDAY. YEAH. AND THEN WE’RE GOING TO SEE SOME SLIGHTLY BETTER RAIN CHANCES NEXT WEEK. AND THERE’S A REASON FOR THAT, TRAVERS. BUT RIGHT NOW WE’RE TRACKING SOME SHOWERS AND SOME THUNDERSTORMS HERE IN SOME SPOTS ACROSS SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA, MAINLY ACROSS THE WESTERN METRO. WE’RE SEEING THAT. AND ALSO JUST OFFSHORE LOWER PLAQUEMINES PARISH. YOU’RE PROBABLY HEARING A LOT OF THUNDER AND SEEING PLENTY OF LIGHTNING, ALONG WITH SOME OF THE HEAVY RAIN, ESPECIALLY JUST OFFSHORE RIGHT NOW. BUT AGAIN, WE’LL GET TO WDSU FIRST WARNING DOPPLER RADAR. LET’S START NEAR TOWARDS THE METRO, BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE WE’RE SEEING SOME HEAVY RAIN THAT’S CURRENTLY FALLING. STILL GOT THE SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT IN EFFECT FOR SOME GUSTY WINDS UP TO 50 MILES AN HOUR, POTENTIALLY AT TIMES AS WELL. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, IT’S JUST GOING TO BE SOME LIGHTNING AND SOME HEAVY DOWNPOURS. AND YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THIS IS MOVING TOWARDS THE SOUTHEAST. ALL RIGHT. SO LET’S GO TOWARDS PLAQUEMINES BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE WE’RE SEEING THE RAIN AND PLENTY OF THUNDERSTORMS. LOOK AT ALL OF THIS LIGHTNING HERE ASSOCIATED WITH SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS. THEY ARE MOVING TOWARDS THE SOUTHEAST HERE TOO. BUT IF YOU’RE IN BOOTHVILLE LOOKING AT SOME HEAVY RAIN THAT’S FALLING ON TOP OF YOU RIGHT NOW. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, IT LOOKS LIKE MUCH OF THE RAIN IS JUST OFF SHORE. AND ALSO TOWARDS THE WESTERN METRO. BUT WE’RE ALSO LOOKING AT SOME RAIN AND A LITTLE BIT OF SOME RUMBLES OF THUNDER, PERHAPS DOWN TOWARDS THE BAYOU. AND AGAIN, THIS IS ALL PUSHING ITS WAY TOWARDS THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST HERE TOO. LET’S GET A CHECK NOW ON YOUR CURRENT TEMPERATURES AND SHOW YOU WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH THAT. IT IS HEATING UP OUT THERE FOR THE AREAS THAT ARE NOT SEEING THE RAIN. YOU CAN SEE UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S, BUT YOU CAN KIND OF TELL WHERE THE RAIN IS FALLING. KENNER IS AT 79 DEGREES. THAT’S WHAT WE CALL THE RAIN COOLED AIR, HELPING TO COOL DOWN THOSE TEMPERATURES. AND YOU CAN SEE THE LOWER 90S HERE BEING MEASURED OR FELT. THAT IS ON THE NORTH SHORE. IT FEELS LIKE OVER 100 DEGREES IN SOME SPOTS THAT HAVEN’T RECEIVED THE RAINFALL, BUT IT’S ONLY FEELING LIKE 82 RIGHT NOW IN KENNER. HIGH TEMPERATURES TODAY MAINLY INTO THOSE LOWS. SOME SPOTS COULD GET INTO THE MID 90S, BUT I THINK WE’RE GOING TO ADJUST SOME OF THESE TEMPERATURES NOW FOR THE WESTERN METRO. THAT’S WHERE WE’RE SEEING THE RAIN. I DON’T THINK IT’S GOING TO GET AS HOT AS 95 AS PREVIOUSLY FORECASTED, BUT WE COULD SEE SOME HIGH TEMPERATURES APPROACHING THOSE MID 90S THROUGH AT LEAST SATURDAY, ESPECIALLY AREAS THAT DON’T SEE THE RAIN LOWER 90S HERE. AS WE HEAD TOWARDS SUNDAY AND EARLY NEXT WEEK, WHICH IS PRETTY TYPICAL WHERE WE SHOULD BE FOR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR. SO WHAT’S HAPPENING IS WE HAVE THIS UPPER LEVEL RIDGE THAT’S GOING TO BE BUILDING HIGH UP IN THE SKY, IN THE ATMOSPHERE THROUGH AT LEAST SATURDAY, AND THAT’S GOING TO HELP KEEP OUR TEMPERATURES A LITTLE BIT MORE. SO ABOVE THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF THOSE OF THOSE LOWER 90S. SO THAT’S WHY WE COULD SEE THOSE HIGHS MAINLY INTO THE MID 90S BECAUSE OF THE HIGH. AND ALSO HELPING TO SUPPRESS THE RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS FROM BECOMING TOO NUMEROUS OR TOO WIDESPREAD HERE TOO. BUT WE’RE EXPECTING THAT RIDGE TO BREAK DOWN AS WE HEAD INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. THAT IS GOING TO GIVE WAY TO THIS TROUGHING PATTERN TO SET UP HERE. THAT’S GOING TO HELP COOL US DOWN A LITTLE BIT. ONCE THAT RIDGE BREAKS DOWN, AND ALSO KEEP THE THUNDERSTORMS FROM ISOLATED TO TURNING MORE ON THE SCATTERED SIDE OF THINGS BY EARLY NEXT WEEK. AND YOU’LL SEE IT HERE. WITH THE RAINFALL CHANCES AT 30% THROUGH SATURDAY BECAUSE OF THE RIDGE. AND THEN YOU CAN SEE AFTER WE GET THROUGH THAT SYSTEM, THOSE CHANCES OF WET WEATHER INCREASE TO ABOUT 40%, A LITTLE BIT MORE TYPICAL SUMMERTIME PATTERN HERE IN SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA. SO WE’LL TIME IT OUT AS WE HEAD THROUGH 3:00 SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS STILL POSSIBLE. WE GO INTO 7:00. STILL MORE OF THE SAME THING, AND WE GO THROUGH 10:00. YOU CAN SEE THAT’S WHEN EVERYTHING DIES DOWN REALLY QUICKLY. I DO WANT TO SHOW YOU AS WE HEAD INTO THURSDAY, SHOWERS AND STORMS START TO DEVELOP AS WE GET TO ABOUT 3:00 IN THE HOUR. THAT GOES THROUGH THE EARLY PART OF THE EVENING AND ALSO INTO THE 9:00 HOUR PERHAPS AS WELL. BEFORE WE START TO DIMINISH AS WE HEAD INTO EARLY FRIDAY AND THEN ANOTHER CYCLE HERE POPS UP AGAIN, A 40% CHANCE OF TROPICAL DEVELOPMENT OFF THE SOUTHEAST COAST. THAT IS, FROM A COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY THAT’S EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH. WE COULD SEE SOME DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THAT AS WE HEAD INTO THE WEEKEND, BUT NO THREAT TO SOUTH
Popular unicycle performer Red Panda injured at halftime of WNBA game
Updated: 3:52 PM CDT Jul 2, 2025
The popular halftime show performer who goes by Red Panda fell off her unicycle and crashed to the court during intermission of the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup final between the Indiana Fever and the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night, unable to finish her show.There was no immediate word on the extent of her injuries. She appeared to be grabbing at her left wrist after the fall — she fell forward off the unicycle onto the court — and was helped off the floor by wheelchair.Red Panda, whose name is Rong Niu, is a Chinese American woman who comes from a family of performing acrobats. Her act is composed of her riding on her custom-built unicycle, which stretches about 8 feet above the court, and balancing custom-made bowls on her lower leg before flipping them atop her head.She has performed at countless basketball games, including Game 5 of the NBA Finals last month in Oklahoma City.
MINNEAPOLIS —
The popular halftime show performer who goes by Red Panda fell off her unicycle and crashed to the court during intermission of the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup final between the Indiana Fever and the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night, unable to finish her show.
There was no immediate word on the extent of her injuries. She appeared to be grabbing at her left wrist after the fall — she fell forward off the unicycle onto the court — and was helped off the floor by wheelchair.
Hearst OwnedChris Graythen
Red Panda, whose name is Rong Niu, is a Chinese American woman who comes from a family of performing acrobats. Her act is composed of her riding on her custom-built unicycle, which stretches about 8 feet above the court, and balancing custom-made bowls on her lower leg before flipping them atop her head.
She has performed at countless basketball games, including Game 5 of the NBA Finals last month in Oklahoma City.