Until yesterday, those battles were confined to her franchise but the 26-year-old has suddenly found herself battling for a spot in the national side.
She has been called into the Silver Ferns as a replacement for the experienced Anna Harrison.
The Mystics defender has been ruled out for the Silver Ferns’ opening test of the quad series against England in Auckland tonight.
Harrison’s calf injury has paved the way for Watson to possibly make her international debut.
Team-mate Te Paea Selby-Rickit, shooter Maia Wilson and former Steel defender Storm Purvis will all be hoping to get on court for their debuts as well, in what is a new-look Silver Ferns line-up.
"I’m pretty excited," Watson said.
"It has been pretty full-on. There is a lot of information [to learn] but I’m definitely ready."
Watson got the nod from Silver Ferns coach Janine Southby on Thursday night, shortly after playing for New Zealand A against England A.
"I guess it is more excitement at this stage," she said when asked if the nerves had come to visit.
"We had been told that Scar [Harrison] was out, so a couple of us had been training just to see how we would go, so we knew something was coming for someone and had semi-prepared, I guess.
"I definitely feel terrible for her and how it has sort of happened. It is never a nice thing to get injured.
"It is a great opportunity [for me] and I guess these things do come up through other people’s misfortune."
Watson had an outstanding campaign for the Steel in the defensive circle this season.
Last year she had to make the most of her opportunities from the bench, when Storm Purvis and Phoenix Karaka generally preferred.
But with Karaka transferring north to the Central Pulse this season, Watson was promoted to the starting line-up and shone.
The three defenders will once again jostle for spots, but this time for a start in the black dress, alongside captain Katrina Grant, who will spearhead the defensive effort.
If Watson does make her debut tonight, she is confident she can make the step up to international netball.
She has played her most consistent netball this year and was perhaps unlucky to miss out on the squad when it was announced last week.
The Ferns’ training hitouts this week would have done little to bolster the young group’s confidence.
It is understood they suffered a six-goal loss to the New Zealand A side in a warm-up match on Thursday, the same match in which Harrison picked up her injury.
It is not unusual for an A side to beat the top line-up, particularly when the Ferns would have been rotating combinations.
But with Southby trying to build confidence in her young group as they prepare for a tricky first-up test against the world No3-ranked English, the loss was another major blow.
