Bond strained her calf in training before the game against the Mystics on Monday night and the Steel was forced to have just four players on the bench. She had been called into the team to cover for the injured Sheryl Scanlan.
The side has been plagued by injury this season and was forced to call on former skipper and Silver Fern Adine Wilson, who played the final quarter on Monday night.
But Wilson will play for the Steel next Monday night, against the Tactix in Invercargill, only if Shannon Francois is still unavailable.
Co-coach Natalie Avellino said Francois would be given as much time as possible to get her ankle injury right.
"It is the first time she has injured her ankle so it is hard for her to have the confidence whether to push the ankle fully or not. But with three games left in the competition and Silver Ferns selection up for grabs then she will be wanting to play," Avellino said.
"We're a new team and then to have three replacement players come in is a tough call. No other side has had to experience that."
Wilson will not train with the side this week.
Otago midcourter Gina Crampton had played well in a starting position on Monday night in the 60-49 loss, and Avellino was pleased with her performance.
She said Monday's match was different from most this season, as the Steel had started well, and led at halftime.
The Steel was ahead by five goals at one stage, and led 28-24 at the break, but once Silver Ferns shooter Catherine Latu came on for the Mystics, the momentum and structure of the game changed.
Latu was a more direct feeder, Avellino said, and that helped the Mystics.
She also felt the Steel players became more hesitant and did not let the ball flow as they had in the first half.
"Things we were doing well in the first half we sort of went away from and then we lost a couple of centre passes, which does not help. That means your shooters don't touch the ball for a few minutes and it goes into a downward spiral."
Getting behind led to players trying too hard and chasing the ball and that led to the team losing structure.
Avellino said the side had played some good netball in the first half and just needed to continue doing that in the second half.
