Donna Wilkins has been there, done that. When you are 34 years old and have played 64 tests and represented your country in two sports and given birth to three children, nothing much can shake you.
The Steel might be in danger of ending its season with a 10th consecutive loss tonight but Wilkins is not the sort of woman to throw her hands in the air and decide it is all too much.
As she points out, she is only a year removed from going through a similarly hideous run with the Tactix, who won one game in 13 in 2011.
"Last year was pretty bad," Wilkins recalled.
"It was a similar situation. We got close in a few games and only got a couple of thumpings."
Optimistic Steel fans will cling to the knowledge this was always going to be a tough season, with the turnover of players and coaches; the pessimists will argue nine straight losses is simply unacceptable.
For Wilkins, whose elite career covers three decades, there is both frustration at the run of defeats, but an acceptance the Steel needed to rebuild.
"Consistency has let us down. We've had 4-5 games we've lost by five goals or less, so we haven't always been far away.
"But those are super frustrating. They were games that could have gone either way, and they've fallen the wrong way every time.
"We're playing to win. So of course there's some frustration there. Anyone in the team would say the same thing.
"But you have to start from somewhere. This was always going to be a rebuilding phase.
"We need to learn what we can from this season and prepare for the next."
Wilkins expected a post-season review would throw up some tweaks that needed to be made to the franchise.
The Steel has plenty of youngsters and a handful of veterans such as Wilkins, but the former Silver Ferns shooter is keen to see the franchise try to recruit a New Zealand squad member or two.
Mind you, she has not had much time to think about that sort of stuff. Between netball, keeping an eye on the farm near Balfour with husband Mike, and being a mother to Cooper (3), Jack (nearly 2) and Mia (born in January), Wilkins has been busy enough.
Another in the line of remarkable netballers to mix elite sport with motherhood, she said she could not have done it without help.
"I've been really lucky. Mike and I employed a nanny this year. It made it easier to keep the boys in their own environment, and Mike's been able to keep going on the farm and playing his rugby.
"It's been pretty intense with a newborn at times. But my mother has been outstanding again. She travels every weekend to help with Mia. No way I could do it without that sort of support."
On the court, Wilkins has been as good as ever. She has made 90.4% of her shots, a wonderful effort after coming back from a third childbirth.
"I didn't really know how I was going to go coming back after having Mia. It was a pretty quick turnaround.
"I'm quite picky. I don't want to miss any goals. And it's still disappointing. You can be happy with your own performance but it's pretty disheartening when your team can't get across the line."
Wilkins is not sure if she will be back for another season. She joked she might be too old to keep going.
"And I'll have to see what works with the family. I don't know. It's a huge commitment.
"I'd have to make sure I really want to do it."
The Steel is in a three-way tie at the bottom of the ANZ Championship, but can still play the role of spoiler today.
The Vixens are locked at the top with the Mystics, with both teams seeking a big win this weekend to claim the No 1 seed for the playoffs.
Vixens shooters Tegan Caldwell (86.4%) and Karyn Howarth (80.8%) are accurate, and Madison Browne is a classy playmaker.
But the Melbourne side's chances rest on its defence, led by the outstanding Geva Mentor (33 intercepts and 90 deflections this season), Bianca Chatfield and Julie Corletto.
One good omen for the Steel is that the home team has always won the clash between these two sides.
