The experienced campaigner left the Steel camp two years ago in a huff over the way she was treated, citing a lack of support for young mothers at the franchise.
She was pregnant with her second child last year and missed the 2010 season. By the wily competitor is back and shooting as well as ever.
The 32-year-old helped the Tactix upset the Steel 49-44 in Christchurch 10 days ago and is expected to be a key figure again when the sides met at the Edgar Centre this afternoon.
Wilkins and Steel coach Robyn Broughton formed one of the most successful coach-player relationships in domestic netball.
They combined to help the Sting win seven titles in 10 years.
Their relationship remains strong. Wilkins' beef was with management. That said, Wilkins is fiercely competitive and will be looking to get one up on her old friend.
Broughton, for her part, knows it is vital to shut Wilkins down.
Her accurate shooting was the difference between the sides in Christchurch.
"Donna is the playmaker," she said. "But Anna Thompson is pretty smart there, as well.""[Wilkins] just has so much passion and energy. She wants to win and will go all out to do everything to get a win. We've just got to contain her."
If the Steel defence can stop Wilkins, they can build pressure on the likes of Anna Thompson or Ellen Halpenny who are rather less assured. Wilkins has landed 232 of her 261 attempts (88.9%) while Thompson (97/130) and Halpenny (63-84) are landing about 75% of their attempts.
The Steel has its own problems on attack, particularly getting the ball through to its shooters. And once the midcourt has penetrated the defence, shooters Daneka Wipiiti and Paula Griffin have been solid, rather than impressive. Wipiiti has landed 176 of her 222 attempts (79.3%) and Griffin 174 of her 220 attempts (79.1%).
The combination has hardly been setting the competition on fire, registering scores in the 30s on three occasions. Te Paea Selby-Rickit filled in for an injured Wipiiti during the opening-round loss to the Northern Mystics - the other occasion when the Steel has posted fewer than 40 goals this season.
One of the biggest problems the team has faced is its inability to stayed focused for 60 minutes.
The Steel has drifted in and out of games and its third quarter shellacking at the hands of the Tactix was a prime example of what has been going wrong.
The Tactix trailed 26-21 at halftime but outscored the Steel 17-5. That sort of inconsistency had cost the Steel dearly, Broughton said. "It is about personal responsibility and making sure we are all on the same page with the desire and urgency."
History, though, is on the Steel's side. The teams have met on seven occasions with the Steel leading the head-to-heads 5-2.
The Edgar Centre has proved to be fortress for the Steel with six consecutive wins at the venue, including a 52-48 win against the Tactix in round 3 in 2009.
