In many ways, Monday night’s match postponement has worked out for the better.
Had Covid-19 not prevented the Northern Stars from taking the court, the Steel would be halfway through four away games in a 10-day stretch.
Needless to say, that is a gruelling schedule.
A double-header on Saturday and Monday, against the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic and Central Pulse, still presents a tough challenge this weekend.
But being able to return from Auckland last Sunday, rather than Tuesday, will help going into the next road trip.
"I think it’s been a bit of a blessing," Steel coach Reinga Bloxham said of the postponement.
"It was very hot in Auckland. That’s something that, although we’ve trained very hard to cope with back-to-back games, having to play in that heat was quite tough.
"The girls were quite exhausted from the heat that was in the stadium.
"So I think it was a bit of a lucky one for us, being able to come home. We’ve got an extra day up our sleeve, which means we’ve got an extra day of recovery and then an extra day of preparation as well.
"Heading into this weekend, we always knew it was going to be a tough one. Having two games and two games in different cities is always tough."
The first month has been tough to evaluate from a Steel perspective.
Comfortable wins over the Mainland Tactix and Northern Stars have been offset by big losses to the Northern Mystics.
The Mystics have won four in a row, although they have played the Steel and Pulse twice each.
Their opening-round loss to the Magic came without star shooter Grace Nweke.
It was a start that made it tough to gauge where the team was at, something that was not lost on Bloxham.
"It’s been such a disrupted season, not just for us, but for other teams as well," she said.
"I think sometimes the team you play isn’t necessarily going to be the team that turns up the next time you play.
"So if we’re comparing to other seasons, I don’t think it’s as easy to gauge where you’re at as it has been in the past.
"You’re a bit unsure who you’re going to have in your line-up and who the opposition’s going to have in their line-up."
Bloxham said it was a case of the Steel focusing on basic execution within its own structures, no matter who it had on the court.
She added the team was excited to face the Pulse and Magic for the first time.
