The Silver Ferns and Magic defender's next assignment is the hardest job in the ANZ Championship.
The 36-year-old is tasked with shutting down the Steel's towering shooter, Jhaniele Fowler-Reid, when the sides meet in Hamilton on Monday night.
De Bruin will be conceding 8cm but the South Africa-born goal-keep is an experienced campaigner and will be more than a match for her 1.98m opponent.
She is one half of the most formidable defensive unit in the competition.
Her combination with Casey Kopua is a significant hurdle the Steel will need to overcome if the team is going to post its first win this season.
The problem is the Magic duo is in terrific form.
The pair restricted the Mystics to a miserly 36 goals in Auckland on Monday night and the Magic, to the surprise of many, has two wins from two starts.
Not bad for a team which lost 10 players in the off-season, including the incomparable Laura Langman and ace shooter Irene van Dyk.
There is a new coach as well after Australian Julie Fitzgerald took over from Noeline Taurua.
It is enough change for a decade, let alone from one season to the next.
''We weren't sure how we were going to go with all the young ones and how they would cope,'' de Bruin said.
''But although there is a lot of stuff we still have to work on, it has not been a bad start with two wins. We're getting a bit more confidence and that is one of the key things, obviously.''
With all the changes, it was important to retain some of the winning culture which the Magic had worked so hard at maintaining during the last six years.
One of the solutions was to produce a booklet outlining the club's values, expectations and history.
Maybe it helped the Magic make a winning start but the smart money is on its two excellent defenders and the key signing of England shooter Jo Harten.
The Magic, though, faces a stern test in the Steel. While the combined Otago-Southland team has struggled so far, it has a weapon in Fowler-Reid.
The Jamaican international had a bout of pneumonia before the season got under way but is slowly getting back to her best.
''It is a big game for them because they would want to get their first win under their belt. They have Fowler-Reid at the back and she is such a big target for them and they feed her well. They can be unstoppable and score really fast.
''I might have to add a bit in my shoes,'' she joked when asked about the 8cm she would concede to Fowler-Reid.
''But I like those challenges. When we played Jamaica at the start of the year, I found quite a few things which were successful against her so I'm just going to try and get more in the feeders' heads.
''We need to stop the ball outside the circle rather than worrying about her too much because, one on one, there is no way I can get the ball. I can jump my little heart out but it is going to be pretty hard.''
