New Zealand might have ace shooter Irene van Dyk and Commonwealth Games hero Maria Tutaia potting the goals, but the Silver Ferns' real strength is down the other end of the court.
If you count Joline Henry, New Zealand could field five world-class players in the defensive circle, and there is precious little between them.
Casey Williams is the leader of the wolfpack. Her ability to dominate the air and pick off passes has helped her build a reputation as the best defender in the world game.
Her lieutenants - Anna Scarlett, Katrina Grant and de Bruin - are not that far behind.
Scarlett and de Bruin were impressive in the ANZ Championship. De Bruin, in particular, had a terrific season for the Steel.
She was named joint tournament MVP with Queensland Firebirds and Australian shooter Natalie Medhurst.
Arguably, she is in career-best form and that is exactly where you need to be leading into the world championships.
That said, there is no guarantee de Bruin will start the crunch games for the Silver Ferns. Competition for spots is friendly but fierce.
"Everybody is pushing themselves and you've got to make the most of your opportunities," de Bruin told the Otago Daily Times before the team left for Singapore.
"We've got some sharp shooters and stuff but I think we have a lot of different options in defence, which is pretty good. It keeps everyone on their toes and our opposition thinking."
While just about everybody expects the final will be contested between New Zealand and Australia, the New Zealand camp is trying not to get too far ahead of itself. But pool games against Fiji, Wales and Trinidad and Tobago and a potential quarterfinal against South Africa should not prove much of a test.
That would set up a likely semifinal against England, with Australia and Jamaica likely to meet in the other. History would suggest a New Zealand-Australia final. The two nations have dominated the tournament since its inception in 1963.
That kind of thinking breeds complacency but, at the same time, teams need to adopt strategies which will give them the best chance of success. That means spreading the workload and keeping the powder dry for the business end.
"You want to be peaking at the right time and everybody will want to be fresh going in to the last three games."
While the early games should be a cakewalk for the Silver Ferns, they will still zap energy and any injuries could leave the team vulnerable, particularly at the attack end.
Van Dyk and Tutaia have plenty of experience, but back-up shooters Paula Griffin and Anna Thompson are considerably less experienced and, to be fair, less talented.
Publicly, at least, the Silver Ferns are confident Griffin and Thompson can cut it at the top level. But actions speak louder than the carefully crafted press releases and diplomatic responses.
Netball New Zealand tried to convince netball's world governing body Auckland-born Samoan shooter Cathrine Latu should be eligible to play for the Silver Ferns, despite turning out for Samoa at the 2007 tournament.
The International Federation of Netball Associations held its ground, so NNZ asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport to hear the case. It refused, reasoning NNZ had waited too long to appeal.
However, de Bruin believes New Zealand's 45-42 win against Australia earlier this month "showed we're a team of 12".
"We definitely showed we can step it up a notch and have taken a lot of confidence out of that."
