Brisbane Heat stalwart Jess Jonassen has been ruled out of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL 2026-27) due to a hip issue. The development comes three days out from the tournament’s start, as it is scheduled to begin on October 29.
“Last year I was managing a shoulder injury and tried to play through until it got too much for me and was having an effect on both my own and the team’s performances, as well as my mental health,’’ Jonassen said in a release by Brisbane Heat.
“We considered whether playing through injury was available again, but the advice was to have this period of recovery now, so I can be available of the rest of the season.
“The plan is to be back training in December and be ready to play again in our next WNCL fixture."
Jonassen, who is the most-capped Heat player, last played a professional match in October.
“We’re obviously pretty devastated for JJ. She has a good attitude to these sorts of things and naturally we’ll wrap our arms around her this week as we get ready to play,” Brisbane Heat coach Mark Sorell said.
“We’ll lean into her experience around the group while she recovers and it will be a good chance for us to work with her around our match day planning.”