HEAT SECURE JONASSEN

Jonassen will start her 11th season with the Heat in the Weber Women’s Big Bash League later this year with 179 wickets, four scalps ahead of Sydney Sixers veteran Sean Abbott who will suit up for his 15th BBL campaign in 2025.

The Heat captain was the joint WBBL player of the year in 2024-25 alongside Ellyse Perry, and last night was named the WBBL Heat MVP for the second time at the annual Queensland Cricket Awards Gala.

It was the first time she had won the League’s Player of the Year award, with the honour coming in the same season where the allrounder was selected in the Team of Decade for the WBBL.

Jonassen finished WBBL|10 with 17 wickets and 218 runs, which included an unbeaten 44 in the decider won by the Melbourne Renegades at the MCG.

Jonassen, 32, recently returned to Brisbane following a stand-out effort in the Women’s Indian Premier League where she starred with bat and ball on the way to lifting the Delhi Capitals into the Final.

The Heat won six games in a row to make the Grand Final, the seventh season in succession that they have qualified for the WBBL Finals series.

Jonassen, the most capped Heat player with 147 games in teal, strengthens the WBBL squad as the club builds its strength in a bid to breakthrough for their third title.

Brisbane Heat CEO Terry Svenson said Jonassen continued to be one of the pre-eminent players in world cricket.

“Her skills and determination on field are renowned and her insights as a captain and a leader of people are as good as it gets,’’ he said.

“We are thrilled Jess will continue with the Heat for a further two years.”

"We are confident the squad will again be strongly competitive and look forward to them enjoying success next season,’’ Svenson said.

Jonassen becomes the first signing for the WBBL Heat following the lifting of the contract embargo this week, with the club filling nine of its 15 available contract spots so far.

Those nine contracted players include Australian allrounders Grace Harris and Charli Knott, Australian Under-19 captain Lucy Hamilton and current or former Australia 'A" players Sianna Ginger, Nicola Hancock, Grace Parsons and Georgia Redmayne as well as South African allrounder Nadine de Klerk. 

Her retention for a further two seasons follows that of Heat coach Mark Sorell who was also reappointed for two years last month.

WBBL Brisbane Heat squad for WBBL|11:

Jess Jonassen, Nadine de Klerk (overseas pre-signing), Sianna Ginger, Lucy Hamilton, Nicola Hancock, Grace Harris, Charli Knott, Grace Parsons, Georgia Redmayne.