The 21-year-old will combine with either Storm Purvis, who has recovered from an ankle injury, or Jane Watson in a bid to limit Mystics shooters Cathrine Latu and Maria Tutaia.
Latu has connected on 264 of her 280 attempts (94.3%) in the ANZ Championship this season and is the most accurate shooter (with at least six attempts) in the competition.
Tutaia has landed 258 from 315 attempts (81.9%), the 12th most in the competition, two spots behind Latu.
''They are the perfect combination,'' Karaka said.
''[Latu] is a holding shooter, and [Tutaia] shoots from anywhere. So it's probably one of the top combinations that you could get in the shooting circle.''
Karaka, who has the third-most interceptions (21) and 14th-most deflections (32) in the competition, has been busy preparing for the challenge this week.
''Latu is an amazing holding shooter, so just having to move our feet ... that's something we have been working on this week,'' she said.
''When there are holding shooters, if you're not quick enough to get around, you're going to run into them.''
While the Mystics have an impressive attacking record, the Steel leads the competition with 648 goals - 77 more than the Mystics.
However, with just three wins and a couple of draws to show from its first 11 games, the Steel could dearly do with a win against the New Zealand conference leaders.
The Steel is clinging to the third and final playoff spot in the conference on eight points, with only a superior goal percentage holding off the Central Pulse, which also has eight points.
A couple of wins to finish the regular season would guarantee a playoff spot but it could also make it with one or no win, depending on how the Pulse fares in its final road games against the Magic and Thunderbirds.
Inconsistency, particularly in the final quarter, has hurt the Steel all season, but Karaka is confident the team is headed in the right direction.
''Every game has been tight,'' she said.
''We are competing with all the teams - it's always the last seven or five minutes where we are not pushing through.
''But we are quite a new team still. The fact that we are so young and we are being able to contest with these top netballers is really fun and it gives you confidence that you can compete at this level.''
Karaka, who will be a contender for the Silver Ferns for the Netball World Cup in Sydney, believes her own form has improved throughout the season.
However, she realises she might need to become more ''dirty''.
''I haven't been a very dirty player growing up, and I think, playing against some players, you do come across that and it rubs off on you.
''I always try and be that clean player, but everyone is always like, `If you contact, make it a good one.' I think I need to do a bit more of that and not these soft contacts.''
Karaka, who was born and raised in Auckland, had also been working on becoming more disciplined defending the shot, she said.
Today's match is the Steel's last home game of the season.
Steel v Mystics
Invercargill, today, 4.10pm
Head to head: Played 15, Steel 6, Mystics 9.
Greatest winning margins: Steel 15, Mystics 17.
