Melbourne Renegades won the WBBL in December 2024. Adelaide Strikers took consecutive titles in the two seasons before that. Brisbane Heat managed back-to-back championships in 2018-19 and 2019-20, the same as Sydney Sixers did in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
Ten seasons have passed since the first ball was bowled, and the tournament has produced six different champions across a decade that reshaped Australian women’s cricket.
This blog follows a season-by-season account of who won in all the years, how they won, and even the players of the season list that highlight who made it happen.
Read on to find out who has dominated Australian women’s cricket.
Women’s Big Bash League Champions List: 2015-2025
The table below shows every final played since 2015. Sydney Sixers reached finals in four consecutive seasons before their grip loosened. Adelaide Strikers won twice, running under Tahlia McGrath between 2022 and 2024.
| WBBL Season/Year | Winner | Captain | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 (2024-25) | Melbourne Renegades | Sophie Molineux | Brisbane Heat |
| 09 (2023-24) | Adelaide Strikers | Tahlia McGrath | Brisbane Heat |
| 08 (2022-23) | Adelaide Strikers | Tahlia McGrath | Sydney Sixers |
| 07 (2021-22) | Perth Scorchers | Sophie Devine | Adelaide Strikers |
| 06 (2020-21) | Sydney Thunder | Rachael Haynes | Melbourne Stars |
| 05 (2019-20) | Brisbane Heat | Kirby Short | Adelaide Strikers |
| 04 (2018-19) | Brisbane Heat | Kirby Short | Sydney Sixers |
| 03 (2017-18) | Sydney Sixers | Ellyse Perry | Perth Scorchers |
| 02 (2016-17) | Sydney Sixers | Ellyse Perry | Perth Scorchers |
| 01 (2015-16) | Sydney Thunder | Alex Blackwell | Sydney Sixers |
Sydney Thunder scraped home in the first final with three wickets and three balls to spare at the MCG.
The tournament, since then, has given us Hayley Matthews batting and bowling Melbourne Renegades to glory in 2024-25, Megan Schutt claiming six for 19 in a semi-final two years earlier, and Beth Mooney scoring match-winning fifties in consecutive finals for Brisbane Heat.
1. Season 10 (2024-25) – Melbourne Renegades
West Indian Hayley Matthews hit 69 off 61 balls after the Renegades stumbled to 76 for five in the 12th over against Brisbane Heat. She then took two for 24 as the Heat fell seven runs short chasing 142.
Sophie Molineux bowled the final over and conceded just 11 runs despite a last-ball six. Simon Helmot became the first person connected to the Renegades franchise in 14 years to hold a championship trophy after watching seven seasons end without silverware.
The rain delay turned the contest into a sprint of just a 12 over chase, but the Renegades held their nerve through disciplined bowling and sharp fielding at North Sydney Oval.
2. Season 9 (2023-24) – Adelaide Strikers
McGrath made 38 off 34 to help Adelaide reach 125 batting first, then dismissed Mignon du Preez and Laura Harris off consecutive balls. Amanda-Jade Wellington grabbed three for 16 with her leg-spin, including two wickets in the final over to finish off Heat on 122 for eight.
McGrath became the third captain to lead a team to consecutive titles after taking over the role midway through the 2021-22 campaign. The Strikers had beaten the Sydney Sixers by 10 runs the year before.
3. Season 8 (2022-23) – Adelaide Strikers
Adelaide finished second in the table, beat Brisbane Heat in the Challenger, then pulled off an upset against minor premiers Sydney Sixers at North Sydney Oval to claim their first title.
Laura Wolvaardt finished third in the competition with 403 runs, while Megan Schutt led all bowlers with 27 wickets.
Deandra Dottin hit an unbeaten 52 and took two wickets in the Final to earn Player of the Match honours. It took three attempts at finals before the Strikers worked out how to win one.
4. Season 7 (2021-22) – Perth Scorchers
Perth beat Adelaide by 12 runs at Perth Stadium, with Marizanne Kapp named Player of the Final for her 31 not out off 23 deliveries and one for 25 from four overs.
Coached by Shelley Nitschke and captained by Sophie Devine, the Scorchers finished on top of the ladder to claim their first minor premiership. The crowd of 15,511 set a new attendance record for a standalone WBBL match.
Beth Mooney led the league with 547 runs, including a century against the Melbourne Renegades.
5. Season 6 (2020-21) – Sydney Thunder
Thunder won their second championship at North Sydney Oval, beating Melbourne Stars by seven wickets with 38 balls left to play. Shabnim Ismail and Sammy-Jo Johnson bowled fire up front, restricting Stars to nine for 86, the lowest total ever recorded in a WBBL final.
Rachael Haynes captained the side to victory after being part of the 2015-16 championship team under Alex Blackwell.
The entire tournament was played in a bio-secure Sydney hub because of COVID-19, and Thunder finished third before knocking out defending champions Brisbane Heat in a semi-final thriller.
6. Season 5 (2019-20) – Brisbane Heat
Brisbane retained their title when they beat first-time finalists Adelaide Strikers by six wickets at Allan Border Field. Beth Mooney made 56 not out to lead the chase and was named Player of the Final for the second year running.
Defending champions Brisbane finished on top of the ladder, earning the right to host all three playoff matches at home.
Captain Kirby Short’s leadership proved crucial despite her own dwindling batting contributions, as teammates attested to her behind-the-scenes influence.
7. Season 4 (2018-19) – Brisbane Heat
Beth Mooney batted through illness to make a match-winning half-century as Heat squeezed past Sydney Sixers by three wickets with four balls in hand at Drummoyne Oval.
Short became captain in January 2017 after replacing Delissa Kimmince, then led the Heat to consecutive titles. This marked the first time a team without “Sydney” in its name held the trophy.
Short’s ability to hold the playing group together proved essential after tensions flared following a first-round loss to Adelaide.
8. Season 3 (2017-18) – Sydney Sixers
The Sixers bowled Perth Scorchers out for 99 at Adelaide Oval before chasing down the target with nine wickets in hand and 30 balls remaining. Sarah Coyte earned Player of the Final honours for her figures of three for 17 off four overs.
Ellyse Perry topped the run charts with 552 at an average of 46.00, then made 36 not out and hit the winning runs in the Final. This secured back-to-back championships for the Sixers.
9. Season 2 (2016-17) – Sydney Sixers
Captain Ellyse Perry was sidelined with a hamstring injury as the Sixers posted five for 124 in the first innings. Katherine Brunt’s unbeaten 35 off 30 balls for Perth wasn’t enough as the Sixers fielded brilliantly and bowled economically to win by seven runs.
Sarah Aley earned Player of the Final honours with figures of four for 23 off four overs. Perry was there to accept the trophy despite missing the playoffs through injury.
10. Season 1 (2015-16) – Sydney Thunder
Thunder beat Sydney Sixers by three wickets with three balls left at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in a low-scoring title decider. Erin Osborne earned Player of the Final honours for her bowling figures of three for 21 off four overs.
Alex Blackwell captained the inaugural champions in a match notable for what was probably the worst fielding seen all tournament from both teams. Blackwell later said leading Thunder to this victory was her greatest achievement with the club.
Which Team Has Won The Most WBBL Titles?
Four teams have won multiple WBBL championships. Each one has won exactly two titles. The parity across franchises shows how competitive the league remains after 10 seasons.
| No. | Team | No. of Titles | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sydney Sixers | 2 titles | 2016-17, 2017-18 |
| 2 | Sydney Thunder | 2 titles | 2015-16, 2020-21 |
| 3 | Brisbane Heat | 2 titles | 2018-19, 2019-20 |
| 4 | Adelaide Strikers | 2 titles | 2022-23, 2023-24 |
| 5 | Perth Scorchers | 1 title | 2021-22 |
| 6 | Melbourne Renegades | 1 title | 2024-25 |
Sydney Sixers dominated early on, reaching finals in each of the first four seasons before claiming consecutive titles in 2016-17 and 2017-18 under Ellyse Perry’s captaincy.
Brisbane Heat followed this pattern with back-to-back championships in 2018-19 and 2019-20 under Kirby Short’s leadership.
Adelaide Strikers matched this achievement in 2022-23 and 2023-24, with Tahlia McGrath becoming only the third captain to lead a team to consecutive titles. Melbourne Renegades broke through in 2024-25 after finishing last the previous season.
Perth Scorchers claimed their only title in 2021-22. Melbourne Stars and Hobart Hurricanes remain the only founding franchises without championships, though both have reached finals. The balance means any team entering a season believes they can win it.
WBBL Player Of The Season Winners List
Individual awards recognise performances that go beyond simple statistics. From Meg Lanning’s dominance in the first season to Sophie Devine winning consecutive awards in 2019-20 and 2020-21, the trophy marks out players who shaped campaigns.
| Season | Player of the Series |
|---|---|
| 2024-25 | Ellyse Perry & Jess Jonassen |
| 2023-24 | Chamari Athapaththu |
| 2022-23 | Ashleigh Gardner |
| 2021-22 | Harmanpreet Kaur |
| 2020-21 | Sophie Devine |
| 2019-20 | Sophie Devine |
| 2018-19 | Ellyse Perry |
| 2017-18 | Amy Satterthwaite |
| 2016-17 | Beth Mooney |
| 2015-16 | Meg Lanning |
Perry claimed her second Player of the Tournament award in 2024-25 by sharing the honour with Jess Jonassen after both polled 25 votes, marking the first tie in the award’s history.
Chamari Athapaththu piled up 511 runs at a strike rate close to 130 and picked up nine wickets in 2023-24 after initially being ignored in the player draft.
Ashleigh Gardner scored 339 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate of 153 while taking 23 wickets in 2022-23, becoming the first past Young Gun winner to claim the award.
Harmanpreet Kaur became the first Indian to win the honour in 2021-22 after making 399 runs and claiming 15 wickets for Melbourne Renegades.
Sophie Devine earned consecutive awards in 2019-20 and 2020-21, joining New Zealand teammate Amy Satterthwaite as international players to claim the competition’s top individual honour.
Perry led the league with a record 777 runs at an average of 86.33 and a strike rate of 121.21 in 2018-19, taking her game to another level according to commentators.
Beth Mooney won in 2016-17 during her time with Brisbane Heat. Meg Lanning claimed the inaugural award in 2015-16 for the Melbourne Stars.
Related Reads:
Conclusion: Will Melbourne Renegades Retain Their Title in WBBL 2025?
The WBBL has established itself as the world’s premier women’s domestic cricket competition since launching in 2015.
Ten campaigns produced six different champions, with Sydney Sixers, Sydney Thunder, Brisbane Heat, and Adelaide Strikers each claiming two titles.
Melbourne Renegades’ breakthrough in 2024-25 showed how quickly fortunes change, jumping from wooden spoon to champions in one season.
The early dominance of Sydney franchises resulted in four championships across the first six seasons, echoing New South Wales’ historical standing in Australian cricket.
Player of the Tournament awards have been shared among 11 recipients from Australia, New Zealand, India, and Sri Lanka, reflecting the competition’s international appeal and the quality of overseas players who return season after season.
FAQs
Teams can sign up to five marquee players with a maximum of three from overseas, defined as any overseas player or a local player holding a Cricket Australia national contract.
Perth Stadium set the attendance record for a standalone WBBL match with 15,511 spectators during the 2021-22 Final between Perth Scorchers and Adelaide Strikers.
Adelaide Strikers attempted to become the first team to win three consecutive titles in 2024-25 after claiming championships in 2022-23 and 2023-24, but Melbourne Renegades defeated them before the final.
Haynes missed the entire 2021-22 season after giving birth to her first child, Hugo, in October 2021, with pandemic border restrictions and an ankle injury complicating her return. She made her last WBBL appearance in the 2022-23 season before announcing her retirement from professional cricket.
Tess Flintoff recorded the fastest ever WBBL half-century off just 16 balls against Adelaide Strikers at North Sydney Oval during the 2022-23 season.
