If you wanted to get a good look at the whole spectrum that is Danielle Ward, this week was a pretty good chance.

It started Saturday against Marquette with a first half in which her deficiencies were on display -- namely hanging onto the ball.

The other side of Ward, the part that makes the University of Wisconsin basketball rave about her physical skills, showed up Tuesday in the Badgers' home opener against Wyoming.

The 6-foot-4 senior forward scored UW's first five points, finished with 10 and was a disruptive defensive presence, blocking four shots and grabbing nine rebounds in a 67-66 overtime loss.

"It's unbelievable," UW coach Lisa Stone said. "She's as athletic as it gets. And she's a tough matchup for people. She's quick, she's lean. And when she can catch the ball and gather. ..."

Unfortunately, that problem has dogged Ward during her time at UW -- as has staying out of foul trouble and an inconsistent shot.

"Of course my shot needs to improve, of course my free throws, me finishing layups, staying in the game longer, cutting down on my fouls," said Ward, who fouled out against the Cowgirls.

She had three turnovers in 10 minutes in the first half of the Badgers' 67-53 loss to the Golden Eagles. She had four more in the second half against Wyoming.

The combination of her long frame, jumping ability she tied for the highest vertical jump on the team and speed is a rarity for a post player.

"What we need from Danielle is just consistency," said UW assistant coach Ty Margenthaler, who works with the team's post players. "That's what we preach to her, and the great thing about Danielle is she says the same thing.

"She's a senior, she knows what to expect, and what we need from her is ... being active. She needs to run the floor, she needs to be a defender, and she needs to be, to me, a great offensive rebounder, and those are the three things that she can be consistent at. The catch the ball on the low block and make a move, that will come."

And Ward's not the only the player the Badgers (1-2) need more from entering today's matchup with Mississippi (2-1) at the Pepperdine Thanksgiving Tournament in Malibu, Calif.

Stone is still developing her post rotation, and no one has yet to stake much of a claim. Ward is leading UW's frontcourt players with 5.0 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Sophomore Mariah Dunham is averaging 4.3 points per game and shooting just 27.8 percent (5-for-18).

Freshman Tara Steinbauer scored nine points in the Badgers' season-opening win over Cleveland State, but hasn't added to that total and didn't play against Wyoming. Sophomore Brittany Heins scored all six of her points in the opener and has only played two minutes in the last two games.

Freshman Lin Zastrow hasn't scored and has only attempted one shot in 26 minutes. Junior Caitlin Gibson has played six minutes in two games.

And point production in the post or from anywhere would certainly help take some of the offensive burden off senior guard Jolene Anderson. She's averaging 27.7 points per game which means she's accounted for more than 41 percent of UW's offense.

"We have to attack the post and we've got to get production out of our posts," Stone said. "It's something we challenge our kids at every day. We have been for three years now. And we've got to pick up a second or third scorer. Jolene cannot carry this team by herself."