Prior to this past weekend's 75-65 win at Michigan, the Wisconsin women's basketball team had been missing something.

The Badgers' backcourt was lacking its typical scoring and defensive prowess and the only way that could have been replaced was by the return of sophomore standout Janese Banks.

Banks sat out five games with a foot injury and returned to action versus Ohio State, but it wasn't until the following game at Ann Arbor, Mich. that she truly established her comeback — and boy did the Badgers ever miss her.

Even though she did not start in her second game back, Banks played 32 minutes while notching a near double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds against the Wolverines — in addition to five assists and three steals.

While Banks is likely to start in Thursday's home game versus Indiana, she says she is nowhere near fully healed as her foot is still giving her problems.

"I can't actually say what percent I'm at because sometimes I feel good, but then when I get going it gets real sore," Banks said. "I just try to get through the pain as much as possible."

Sitting on the bench has been a hard role for Banks to adjust to — especially considering the only time she ever came off the bench was during her freshman year of high school when two All-Americans started ahead of her.

"It's very frustrating coming off the bench when you know you want to be out there contributing," Banks said. "But I'm just learning a new role and that's to be there for my teammates and encourage them as much as I can."

But Banks is no stranger to injuries.

Last season she injured her knee at the beginning of the year and was unable to play in the two exhibition games prior to the season opener.

This year's foot injury, however, is much worse than that of last year's.

"It's harder this year," Banks said. "It's just awkward. Last year's injury just wasn't as frustrating because it was at the beginning, I wasn't playing and had to take a back seat."

Now that she's back out on the court, Banks hopes to take everything that she learned from watching the games on the bench and translate it into success.

Rather, she'll opt to do so through her play and let head coach Lisa Stone continue to do the coaching, yelling and teaching that Banks was so tempted to do.

"When you're on the bench, it kind of feels like you're a coach," Banks said. "You see everything and see you things that you don't see while you're playing, but you can't turn into that. I just want to still be a teammate so instead of yelling and screaming, I have to encourage my teammates when I get out there to try and fix those things that I saw."

Despite the fact Wisconsin desperately needed Banks' return as it heads into the stretch run of the Big Ten season, she is simply trying to ease her way back into the lineup and help the team in any way she can.

"I'm just trying to slowly ease myself back in," Banks said. "I don't want to come in and try to change everything or fix the world, I just want to gradually work my way back in and help the team as much as possible."

That includes playing the point guard position — a role the Badgers have shuffled between Banks and Jolene Anderson.

"If that's what coach Stone needs to me to do," Banks said. "I've taken on that role because she came to me and I'm always willing and ready to do whatever coach wants me to do."

Banks certainly feels more comfortable at the off-guard position, but playing point guard also helps her in her goal to become a complete player.

"I would love to be more efficient at the [point guard position] even though that's not my natural position," she said. "If that's what's going to help me and help this team, whatever I've got to do to become a better point guard then I'll do it."