The English defender has toiled long and hard against the Silver Ferns legendary South African-born shooter whether at test level, or when wearing the goal keep bib for the Central Pulse and Canterbury Tactix.
Mkoloma has always been a thorn in van Dyk's side, a nip at her heels or nudge on her hip, yet only recently has that persistence been rewarded with victory over the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic's match winner.
The lanky Londoner never won a game while the Pulse in 2008 and fared only marginally better when heading south to Christchurch last season - although both contests against the Magic resulted in narrow losses.
But a move across the Tasman to Sydney and the NSW Swifts has seen a dramatic improvement in the 31-year-old's win-loss ratio in 2010.
Until the Adelaide Thunderbirds upset the title favourites last weekend, the Swifts had won an unprecedented 13 matches on the bounce to become the first franchise in the competition's history to complete the regular season unbeaten.
That sequence included Mkoloma's first ANZ Championship win at van Dyk's expense on June 7. A repeat performance in Newcastle on Sunday puts her on track to become the first English import to feature in a grand final-winning team.
"That was a bonus," said Mkoloma when reflecting on Swifts' 17-goal thumping of the Magic in round 12.
"But this is a different ball game. It's all or nothing, really."
Mkoloma's ability to physically intimidate van Dyk and help cut the supply line to the Magic's chief source of goals should have a significant bearing on a preliminary final which determines who travels to Adelaide for the July 11 decider.
Van Dyk tumbled to the floor early in their last meeting and although she recovered to nail 27 from 29 attempts the veteran was always under pressure.
Illustrating the importance to stem the flow to van Dyk and goal attack Jodi Brown, rival shooters Catherine Cox and Susan Pratley put up 22 more attempts in that contest so their wavering accuracy went unpunished.
Mkoloma would not specify how to succeed defensively against van Dyk, saying the competition's gun shooters -- Sharelle McMahon, Romelda Aiken and Carla Borrego -- all had their weaknesses.
"They are all different in what works against them and what can spoil their game plan," she said.
"The hard thing about Irene is she has great players around her to support her style of play."
Mkoloma, meanwhile, had little difficulty adjusting to Australia's contrasting defensive alignments after two years adhering to New Zealand's preferred zonal system.
"In the UK we work hard on man-on-man marking so it wasn't hard to pick up," she said. "You have to be able to adapt to both styles, you have to have that ability to change."
Swifts coach Julie Fitzgerald coached Mkoloma briefly when the World 7 played the Silver Ferns last September and was always keen to make their association more permanent.
It took some doing and Mkoloma only joined the squad a fortnight before round one against the Queensland Firebirds -- her teammates had already been training for three months.
As it turned out Mkoloma slotted in easily.
"She's fitted in really well with everyone, I think she's enjoyed living in Sydney,"' Fitzgerald said. "She's a great communicator and she carries that on to the court as well.
"I was surprised how quickly our defence end gelled," said Fitzgerald of Mkoloma's rapport with goal defence Rebecca Bulley.
"They have a really good understanding they can switch in the circle really well.
"The other part of that unit is Kim Smith who's having a really strong year on the wing (defence) out in front of them.
"They're working really well together."
Fitzgerald was also complimentary of the Magic's English influence, midcourter Jade Clarke.
She belatedly joined the Magic as a replacement for Peta Scholz, debuting against the Swifts.
"She'd only just got off the plane and turned in a really creditable performance for someone who was jetlagged," Fitzgerald said.
"Watching the games they've played since, she's got better and better every week."
