Proteas Women captain Laura Wolvaardt delivered standout performances at the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup, scoring a record 571 runs to lead her team to the final. Despite the 52-run loss to India, her achievements earned her a spot as Sportsperson of the Year. Wolvaardt's centuries in the semifinal and final highlighted her crucial role in the campaign.
At 26, Laura Wolvaardt has established herself as a key figure in South African women's cricket. As captain of the Proteas Women, she faced a challenging start to 2025 but excelled during the ICC Women’s World Cup two months ago. Her calculated batting guided the team to their first one-day international final, adding to previous T20 World Cup final appearances.
Wolvaardt amassed 571 runs across nine matches, setting a new tournament record as the top scorer with an average of 71.37. This outperformed all but two Australians in average, though she led in total runs by a wide margin. Notably, 270 of those runs came from two pivotal games: a 169-run century against England in the semifinal, securing a 125-run victory and marking the highest score by a South African in a Women’s World Cup; and 101 runs in the final against India in Navi Mumbai.
Along the way, she achieved her 14th World Cup half-century, surpassing Indian legend Mithali Raj's record of 13. Post-tournament, Wolvaardt was named captain of the ICC's official dream team.
Reflecting on the outcome, she expressed mixed feelings at a homecoming press conference: “It’s obviously nice to score runs. But at the end of the day, if I could trade that for [the team] winning the final, I’d do that really quickly. It’s a bit bittersweet. As a cricketer, my main goal is to win a World Cup trophy.”
Proteas coach Mandla Mashimbyi praised her growth: “Laura has shown a great deal of mental fortitude in terms of her talent, and how she’s led the team as well. She’s also grown in this tournament. That’s why I say going forward this team will be even stronger.”
Beyond cricket, Wolvaardt earned a BSc in life sciences cum laude this year from an academic family. Looking ahead, she eyes success at the 2026 T20 Women’s World Cup in England and Wales.
