Tara Steinbauer's personality and playing ability can be
defined by her contributions to the Wisconsin's 82-62 victory over Cleveland
State last Friday.

While senior Jolene Anderson made the highlight reel,
scoring a career-high 37 points, Steinbauer flew under the radar with little
recognition, contributing nine points and eight rebounds, while helping her
team with unexpected matchup problems.

While her contributions were key in the opening game,
Steinbauer still wants her role to expand.

"Here, I'm good, but my teammates are great," Steinbauer
said. "Every day at practice I'm working 10 times harder just to be as good as
my teammates. I just want to be able to compete at the level they set before me
and being able to compete at a higher level."

Coming out of Bloomington (Minn.) High School as the top-ranked
power forward according to the 2006-07 Minnesota High School Girls Basketball
Guide, Steinbauer came in with high
hopes, both for herself and from her Wisconsin teammates. 

However, her ability to act as a leader on the floor
prompted several players to notice her hardworking mentality that makes other
players on the floor better, more effective athletes.

"We worked out over the summer, and you could just tell
right away that she was going to be a leader for the team," sophomore forward
Mariah Dunham said. "She even got me to work harder, making sure that we did
our workout, and sometimes you don't want to do it."

While her minutes were mostly insignificant during the two
preseason games, if anything she has worked harder and has become a better
player as a result.

Her performance against Cleveland State is an indication
that she has stepped her game up and is doing what it takes to become a more
formidable force on the court.

"Against Cleveland State, she was a key reason why we won,"
Wisconsin head coach Lisa Stone said. "We needed a presence inside, we needed
to go small, and she answered the call. With Tara, every day she's getting
better."

Despite that recognition as a leader by her teammates, her
modesty has not changed, and it has made her a more diligent worker.

"It's a huge honor to be called a leader by other people on
the team, especially your mentors," Steinbauer said. "I just go out and give my
best and try to be a leader. I just try to do my best on and off the court."

Steinbauer also has found the transition from being a star
in high school to a subordinate in Wisconsin a valuable learning experience,
gaining as much from the upperclassmen as she can. While it has been a
difficult one, the jump to the college game has made her a better player.

"It was really hard at first getting acclimated into the
college game, but I'm really starting to get the hang of it," Steinbauer said.
"I've just been going to the gym, getting the extra hours in. Getting to play
in the games has really helped my confidence, and I think that was the hardest
part about playing in this environment."

While she found the transition difficult, her coaches and teammates
have been amazed at her natural playing ability, work ethic and personality,
which are not particularly common among most athletes.

"She's absolutely delightful," Stone said. "She has a great
personality, she's a team builder, and she's jumped in and made an impact right
away. She's tough as nails inside. She posts up strong and can finish.

"When you're a good listener and fast learner like her and
you can see your mistakes and correct them right away, you're going to keep
getting better."

Steinbauer knows that to continue establishing herself as a
presence for the Badgers, she has much to learn. That means the hard work that
got her to this position must continue so she can be an important part of the
team in the future.

At this point, maybe only her humble nature could detract
from her push to succeed and make the coaching staff give her more time on the
floor.

"I never think that I should play more or that I'm not
getting what I deserve," Steinbauer said. "Every day I just go out and give it
my best. If that means that I get more minutes, then great, but I know that
there will come a time in the season when I'm going to get two or three minutes
a game. If that's the case, then I just know that it's another person's time to
shine, and I'm fine with that."

While she has been humble personally and apt on the court,
Steinbauer’s ability to make other players better defines who she really is.

"It's people like Tara that push you to do the things that
make you a better player," Dunham said. "And that's why she's great, and that's
why she'll keep getting better."