Belief is the answer. The question is: how will the Steel finally break its drought and win a game in Australia?
In eight ANZ Championship matches across the ditch the Steel has emerged defeated every time.
Most have been heavy losses, with the Steel losing six games by 10 or more goals.
It is a horrendous record which makes for dismal reading for Steel fans.
But if there is any comfort to be had, it is that the Steel is overdue.
The Invercargill-based franchise gets an opportunity to improve its record tomorrow when it plays the Queensland Firebirds in Brisbane.
It is a tough assignment.
The Firebirds are the form team in the competition with three wins from three matches, including the 64-41 annihilation of the defending champions, the Adelaide Thunderbirds.
The Steel, by stark contrast, has made a poor start to the tournament, with heavy losses to the Northern Mystics and Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic and a narrow win against perennial struggler the Central Pulse last week.
Steel shooter Daneka Wipiiti is aware her side faces a daunting challenge.
"They are just like every other team," she said of the Firebirds.
"They have two arms and two legs. So for us it is just a matter of making sure we are playing to our strengths. We have to finish everything off really well. At the moment we are getting ball from our defensive end but are just not getting it through consistently enough."
The Firebirds have some tall timber in the midcourt but the Steel has a strategy in place to to compensate.
"We have to make sure we combat that with speed and flat passes," she said.
Wipiiti injured her ankle during the annual pre-season tournament in Queenstown and is still battling.
She missed the opening game and her ankle is still quite swollen, or "cankly", as she describes it.
"It is not a hot-looking ankle, that is for sure. Obviously, I want to be in heels and looking hot again by the end of the season," Wipiiti joked.
It is a matter of managing the pain and getting rest when she can.
The problem for the Steel is Wipiiti is too valuable to the side to rest.
The franchise needs her on the court to compete.
The attacking end has being running rougher than a Russian-made Lada on a hill.
But Wipiiti believes her combination with goal attack Paula Griffin is improving.
"It is really hard when we have not had a good pre-season together because we've had so many injuries.
"You don't have the court fitness if you don't get out there and play. So the more time we spend together the better. We've been playing really well at training and just have to make sure we don't go back into our shells and play too carefully."
Wipiiti is reasonably pleased with her own form but said shooters are never satisfied until they have shot 100%.
And she is working on making herself more available and having the confidence to put up long shots.
The Steel might be the underdog but Wipiiti said the secret was belief.
"We just need to keep believing. Believing in our team and believing in ourselves. We need to go over there knowing what we are good at and execute that really well."
Firebirds shooter Romelda Aiken is just 11 goals shy of scoring her 1600th ANZ Championship career goal.
By the numbers
Steel's record in Australia
• Played 8, lost 8
• Lost six by 10 or more goals
• Scored 331 goals, conceded 425 goals
• Average points conceded 53.12
• Average points scored 41.37
• Average losing margin 11.75
• Heaviest defeat 17 goals (Vixens 2009, Thunderbirds 2010, Swifts 2010)
