The dust has barely settled on Hobart Hurricanes’ history-making maiden Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) title, Elyse Villani has bid farewell to the league, and already the WBBL landscape is shifting again.
With the nine-day Player Movement Window for WBBL 12 now open (9 am AEDT Tuesday, December 16 to 5 pm AEDT Wednesday, December 24), clubs can trade players, chase un-contracted talent from rival lists, and swap overseas draft positions, all while being unable to re-sign their own off-contract players until open contracting resumes in early 2026.
With list caps of eight players before the window and 10 afterwards (including any pre-signed overseas players), and the WBBL 11 ladder already dictating which clubs will sit in the bottom-four and top-four bands of next year’s overseas draft lottery, this is the first critical list-management flashpoint of the WBBL 12 cycle.
Brisbane Heat: Rebuild after rock bottom
Spots filled on contract list: 7
Contracted for WBBL 12: Lily Bassingthwaighte, Sianna Ginger, Lucy Hamilton, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Charli Knott, Georgia Redmayne
Off contract: Bonnie Berry, Lucinda Bourke, Nicola Hancock, Grace Parsons, Mikayla Wrigley, Annie O’Neil (LRP), Catherine White (LRP)
Other WBBL 11 overseas players: Chinelle Henry (West Indies), Nadine de Klerk (South Africa), Jemimah Rodrigues (India), Lauren Winfield-Hill (England: ORP), Sarah Glenn (England: ORP)
Brisbane enters the Player Movement Window from an unfamiliar position: bottom of the table, winless across the season and outside the finals for the first time in seven campaigns. That context makes this window less a tinkering exercise and more the opening act of a structural rebuild. The positive for the Heat is the spine they have secured: established stars Jess Jonassen, Grace Harris and Georgia Redmayne are all locked in, while WBBL 11 Young Gun award winner Lucy Hamilton gives them a genuine long-term pillar with the ball.
With seven contracted locals already on the books, the Heat have room to move up to the 10-player cap by 5 pm on December 24, either by bringing in experience from more stable clubs or by aggressively targeting un-contracted youngsters from mid-table lists. They cannot re-sign their own off-contract group during this period, so any retention of key bowlers such as Nicola Hancock will have to wait until open contracting in early 2026.
Having finished in the bottom four, Brisbane will sit in the stronger draft band (picks 1–4 once the lottery is drawn), giving them a valuable chip in any trade discussions around overseas draft positions. Expect them to be active in that space, especially after a season where their overseas contingent struggled to consistently change games.
Hobart Hurricanes: Champions, but life after Villani
Spots filled on contract list: 8
Contracted for WBBL 12: Nicola Carey, Heather Graham, Lizelle Lee, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Amy Smith, Molly Strano, Rachel Trenaman, Callie Wilson
Off contract: Ruth Johnston, Isabella Malgioglio, Lauren Smith, Elyse Villani (retired)
WBBL 11 overseas players: Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Natalie Sciver-Brunt, Linsey Smith (all England)
Hobart Hurricanes have just completed the most significant season in their history. Under skipper Elyse Villani, they topped the WBBL 11 league stage for the first time ever, finishing with 15 points from 10 games (7 wins, 2 defeats to Melbourne Stars and Sydney Sixers, and a washed-out clash with Adelaide Strikers), and converted that dominance into their maiden WBBL title. They beat Perth Scorchers by 8 wickets in the final at Bellerive Oval on December 13, 2025, a night that doubled as Villani’s emotional farewell, with the captain announcing her retirement from the WBBL after lifting the trophy.
From a list-management standpoint, Hurricanes entered the window in a position most clubs envy. They have already secured eight players, the maximum allowed before the window opened, including key all-rounders Nicola Carey and Heather Graham, wicket-taking off-spinner Molly Strano, and top-order anchor Lizelle Lee. Notably, Graham and Strano were moved swiftly onto new deals before the embargo kicked in amid interest from their home states, underlining how central they are to the Hurricanes’ planning.
Villani’s retirement, however, leaves a tactical and cultural void at the top of the order and in the leadership group. With Ruth Johnston and Lauren Smith off contract and unavailable for re-signing during the window, Hobart’s best play may be to leverage their champion status to attract a ready-made top-order batter or an experienced leader from a non-finals club, while keeping flexibility for the overseas draft. Their top-four finish in WBBL 11 means they will sit in the picks 5–8 band, so trading up via overseas draft position swaps could be on the table if they identify a specific overseas star to replace Villani’s influence.
Melbourne Renegades: Core secured, fast bowling the watchpoint
Spots filled on contract list: 6
Contracted for WBBL 12: Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Milly Illingworth, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Courtney Webb
Off contract: Charis Bekker, Sarah Coyte, Emma de Broughe, Sara Kennedy, Naomi Stalenberg, Tayla Vlaeminck
WBBL 11 overseas players: Hayley Matthews (West Indies: withdrew), Alice Capsey (England), Deandra Dottin (West Indies), Davina Perrin (England), Issy Wong (England: ORP)
Melbourne Renegades sit on that frustrating borderline: fifth on the WBBL 11 ladder with 5 wins and 5 losses, good enough to be competitive but not quite finals-worthy. The upside is that their local core is in a strong place. They have locked away marquee Australian talent in Sophie Molineux and Georgia Wareham, while Courtney Webb, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff and emerging quick Milly Illingworth give them a versatile base. With just six spots filled, the Renegades have some of the greatest list flexibility heading into this window.
The key storyline is the pace unit. West Indies star Hayley Matthews was absent in WBBL 11 due to shoulder surgery after withdrawing, and the Renegades will be eager not just to see her return via the overseas draft but to support her with local firepower. Tayla Vlaeminck sits off contract and remains a high-upside, high-risk proposition given her injury history, but if fully fit, she is one of the most potent quicks in the world.
For now, the Renegades cannot re-sign Vlaeminck or experienced seamer Sarah Coyte during the window, but they could use this period to trade for depth pace options or leverage their bottom-four draft band (picks 1–4) into an upgraded overseas draft slot. With three list spots available before hitting the window cap of 10, Melbourne are well placed to be opportunistic, whether that means pouncing on an uncontracted batter from a finals side or packaging a draft pick in exchange for a proven finisher who can close out tight run chases that slipped away in WBBL 11.
Perth Scorchers: Retool around a settled star core
Spots filled on contract list: 7
Contracted for WBBL 12: Chloe Ainsworth, Amy Edgar, Ebony Hoskin, Alana King, Katie Mack, Lilly Mills, Beth Mooney
Off contract: Maddy Darke, Mikayla Hinkley, Shea Manolini, Chloe Piparo, Ruby Strange
WBBL 11 overseas players: Sophie Devine (New Zealand), Freya Kemp (England), Paige Scholfield (England)
Perth Scorchers again found themselves deep in the business end of the tournament, finishing third in the WBBL 11 league phase with 12 points from 10 games (6 wins, 4 losses) before beating Sydney Sixers by 11 runs in the Challenger and then falling to Hobart by 8 wickets in the final. Their runners-up finish confirms their status as perennial contenders, and they enter the window with their “big three” locals locked away: run-machine Beth Mooney, leg-spinning match-winner Alana King and prolific top-order batter Katie Mack are all contracted for WBBL 12. Rising pacer, Chloe Ainsworth, plus Amy Edgar, Ebony Hoskin and Lilly Mills, round out a strong local base of seven.
With that stability comes a more targeted brief for the window. Perth’s off-contract local group, including experienced batter Chloe Piparo and utility option Mikayla Hinkley, cannot be re-signed until open contracting, so the Scorchers’ initial focus may be the overseas space. They will sit in the top-four draft band (picks 5–8) after their strong season, and Sophie Devine’s presence as a WBBL icon makes their overseas draft strategy relatively straightforward: surround Devine with complementary skills rather than chasing a rebrand.
Trading overseas draft positions could be on the table if they want to jump ahead of another finalist to secure a specific quick or middle-order power hitter. With three list spots available up to the 10-player cap by December 24, Perth have just enough room to bring in a specialist finisher or backup keeper from a club with a list squeeze, ensuring they are not over-reliant on Mooney and Devine in crunch games as they were at times in WBBL 11.
Sydney Sixers: At a crossroads with Healy and leadership
Spots filled on contract list: 8
Contracted for WBBL 12: Caoimhe Bray, Maitlan Brown, Lauren Cheatle, Ashleigh Gardner, Elsa Hunter, Amelia Kerr (New Zealand), Ellyse Perry, Courtney Sippel
Off contract: Erin Burns, Mathilda Carmichael, Alyssa Healy, Lauren Kua, Emma Manix-Geeves
Other WBBL 11 overseas players: Sophia Dunkley (England), Mady Villiers (England)
Sydney Sixers once again played deep into the season, finishing second in the WBBL 11 league stage with 13 points from 10 games (6 wins, 3 defeats and one washout) under skipper Ashleigh Gardner. Their campaign ended abruptly in the Challenger, where they lost to the Perth Scorchers by 11 runs. Statistically and structurally, the Sixers are in solid shape: they used the embargo period to fill all eight pre-window list spots, locking in a star-studded group featuring Gardner, Ellyse Perry, Lauren Cheatle and overseas gun Amelia Kerr, alongside quicks Maitlan Brown and Courtney Sippel and young talents Caoimhe Bray and Elsa Hunter.
The complexity sits around Alyssa Healy. The Australian captain, who scored 119 runs at a strike rate of 119 and an average of 13.22 from 9 innings in 9 matches in WBBL 11, is off contract and has yet to confirm whether she intends to play on in WBBL 12. That uncertainty shapes the Sixers’ entire Player Movement Window. They cannot re-sign Healy or long-serving utility Erin Burns during this nine-day period, but they must plan as if they might have to replace their long-term wicketkeeper-opener and a senior leader.
With their list already at eight, the Sixers can use only two more spots before the window closes, making trade decisions particularly delicate. A move for an uncontracted keeper-batter from a lower-ranked club, or a trade involving an overseas draft position to secure a top-tier international opener, are realistic scenarios if Healy chooses not to continue.
As a top-four side, Sydney will sit in the picks 5–8 band for the overseas draft. They may explore trading up if they identify a like-for-like attacking opener, or instead trade down to gain multiple assets if they back Kerr, Perry and Gardner to shoulder more of the batting load. However they manoeuvre, Sydney’s decisions over the next nine days will go a long way to determining whether WBBL 12 is an evolution, or the start of a genuine generational shift at one of the league’s flagship clubs.
Adelaide Strikers: Solid Core at Pre-Window Max, Eyeing Trades for Depth
Spots Filled on Contract List: 8
Contracted for WBBL 12: Darcie Brown, Ellie Johnston, Eleanor Larosa, Tahlia McGrath, Bridget Patterson, Megan Schutt, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa)
Off contract: Jemma Barsby, Anesu Mushangwe, Maddie Penna, Tabatha Saville, Ella Wilson, Maggie Clark (LRP), Emmerson Filsell (LRP)
Other WBBL 11 overseas players: Tammy Beaumont (England), Sophie Ecclestone (England)
The Strikers enter the nine-day window with a solid core of eight players locked in, hitting the pre-window maximum, after retaining quicks Darcie Brown and Amanda-Jade Wellington just before it opened on December 16 AEDT. This leaves them at capacity initially but positions them to trade or sign uncontracted talent like Maddie Penna if offers arise, while adhering to the post-window limit of 10 amid their multi-year overseas commitments.
The Strikers need to prioritise bolstering their middle-order depth and spin options to bridge the gap from their near-miss finals campaign marred by weather disruptions. With Penna off-contract and drawing interest, they should target her retention via trade or protect against poaching by packaging lesser-used players like Barsby or rookies such as Saville in deals for proven all-rounders from bottom-table teams. Adding a dynamic overseas draft pick through swaps could inject firepower, complementing Wolvaardt’s consistency and Wellington’s wickets to push beyond sixth place.
Melbourne Stars: Room to Manoeuvre Below Cap, Targeting Power Hitters
Spots Filled on Contract List: 7
Contracted for WBBL 12: Sophie Day, Kim Garth, Marizanne Kapp (South Africa), Meg Lanning, Rhys McKenna, Indigo Noble, Annabel Sutherland.
Off contract: Maisy Gibson, Ella Hayward, Sasha Moloney, Ines McKeon, Georgia Prestwidge, Sophie Reid
Other WBBL 11 overseas players: Dani Gibson (England), Amy Jones (England), Maia Bouchier (England – ORP)
Holding seven contracts below the eight-player pre-window cap, the Stars have room to manoeuvre aggressively during the December 16-24 AEDT period, leveraging their finals return after five years to target uncontracted rivals. Kapp’s ongoing multi-year deal counts toward limits, enabling trades for overseas positions or direct signings to build toward the 10-spot post-window maximum without re-signing their own.
To fill lower-order power-hitting voids exposed in their Knockout exit, the Stars must hunt aggressive batters from off-contract pools, potentially trading Gibson or Moloney to the Brisbane Heat’s winless roster for batting reinforcements. Securing Prestwidge or Hayward via internal priorities post-window remains key, while drafting a high-impact overseas replacement for Bouchier could elevate their lineup alongside Lanning and Sutherland, aiming to convert fourth place into a deeper finals run.
Sydney Thunder: Full Eight Spots with Fresh Flexibility Post-Athapaththu Opt-Out
Spots Filled on Contract List: 8
Contracted for WBBL 12: Sam Bates, Hannah Darlington, Hasrat Gill, Laura Harris, Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Georgia Voll, Tahlia Wilson.
Off contract: Ella Briscoe, Sienna Eve, Lucy Finn, Taneale Peschel, Tara French (LRP), Alex Mavros (LRP).
Other WBBL 11 overseas players: Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka), Heather Knight (England), Shabnim Ismail (South Africa), and Em Arlott (England)
Maxed at eight pre-window contracts, the Thunder opted out of Chamari Athapaththu’s third-year deal to slot in Tahlia Wilson, creating a balanced youth-experience mix as the window runs to December 24 AEDT. This full roster caps immediate signings but opens non-reciprocal trades for uncontracted talent like Peschel, preserving flexibility within the 10-spot post-window limit.
The Thunder require pace upgrades and finishing prowess to climb from seventh, targeting Peschel’s retention or acquisition via trades involving LRPs like French from lower finishers. With Litchfield’s stardom secured, pursuing a traded overseas slot for Ismail-level express pace would add bite, while signing versatile off-contract all-rounders from Heat or Renegades could solidify depth, transforming their promising core into contenders.
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