The third quarter is often referred to as the "championship quarter".
Largely because many games are defined by the team that stands up during that 15-minute period.
And, in the wake of the largest crisis that has rocked the sport throughout its history, the Diamonds produced an unbelievable performance in the championship quarter of game four in the Constellation Cup series to seal a 57-53 victory and steal the trophy back from New Zealand.
Both teams claimed two matches on their respective home soils, seeing the Diamonds claim their 10th trans-Tasman title based on goal difference.
After starting the series 2-0 down, the team lifted in Melbourne on Wednesday to win by 15 goals, buoyed by a loud Australian crowd for the first time in more than 1,000 days.
With such a large winning margin, all the Diamonds needed to do was finish on top in the final match on the Gold Coast, which sounds easy enough, but again they started on the back foot.
Each side was unchanged from their mid-week line-ups and from the get-go it looked like Silver Ferns tactical whiz Noeline Taurua had identified some key areas for her team to flip the script.
Kelly Jury and Phoenix Karaka upped their defensive pressure on goal shooter Sophie Garbin (36/39), restricting her movement inside the circle and pigeonholing her right under the post.
This led to a number of turnovers from the Aussies, as they tried to work the ball around and force an inroad to Garbin, but instead fell into the trap set by the opposition's zone defence.
For much of the first half, this trademark kiwi play – floating off the body, setting up boxes and creating the illusion of space – got the upper hand and prevented the Diamonds from punching up through the middle of the court in attack.
With Garbin a tricky option, the pressure mounted on experienced goal attack Steph Wood (21/27) to shoulder the load, but even she wasn't immune to the long limbs of Jury, whose strong hold saw Wood miss a couple of shots and even get called for a held ball.
By half-time, Australia trailed by five goals, with the gain stat well in New Zealand's favour (7-2).
But a key change from Australian head coach Stacey Marinkovich towards the end of the second quarter was yet to hit its stride.
Jamie-Lee Price had been shifted from wing defence to centre to provide a more direct route to the post, while Amy Parmenter was injected off the bench and handed the WD bib.
Together, the Giants duo took charge of the midcourt, as Price's clever feeding found Garbin with ease, boosting her confidence and freeing Liz Watson to go hunting for vital possession.
Parmenter also did a fine job tagging kiwi wing attack Maddy Gordon, limiting her impact and getting inside her head to draw an offensive contact at one point.
By the midway mark of the championship quarter, the Diamonds had scored 13 of the first 15 goals that period to force an 11-goal turnaround and find themselves in front for the first time in the game.
In response, Taurua rung the changes, making a rare three subs at the one time to try and halt momentum.
Gordon was subbed for Kimiora Poi, but Parmenter didn't let up and was able to draw another offensive contact, this time from Poi on New Zealand's circle edge.
By the time the Silver Ferns had worked their way into the quarter, bringing it back to a goal-for-goal contest, they were in a tough position with a slipping grip on the Constellation Cup.
That 15-minute period (19-8) matched the largest margin we'd seen in a quarter so far during the series, when the Kiwis came out of the blocks in the first term of the opening game (20-9).
The other interesting narrative that came to a head in that third quarter, revolved around the eagle-eyed approach from umpires throughout the game.
In game three, the total penalty count had blown out to 130, and despite being the main offenders (71-59), the Silver Ferns had flagged the increasing physicality within the series as an area of concern with the umpires ahead of the final outing.
Pundits had expected there to be a lot more whistle in the final game as a result, and while we saw more cautions given out (at least four), ironically, New Zealand were again the team that led the penalty count (91-77), conceding a whopping 29 in the third quarter.
Although they were able to clean this up for the final 15 minutes, as they fought tooth and nail to ultimately win three of the four quarters, the damage had been done in that penultimate period.
The hooter went, and with the scoreboard reading 57-53, they were forced to hand the cup back to an exhausted bunch of Australians, who looked more relieved than jubilant that they'd won.
After a turbulent couple of weeks that has seen netball and the Diamonds' reputation take a hit, the emotional toll was clear watching the players embrace a tearful Marinkovich.
Noongar woman Donnell Wallam was also present amongst the huddle, as the team hugged it out, hoping to show their strength in solidarity, after facing questions about the unity amongst the playing group.
The sport may be $15 million poorer after Gina Rinehart withdrew her Hancock Prospecting sponsorship, but the Diamonds' "sisters in arms" culture should be richer for their willingness to stand beside their teammate.
On Wednesday, the team face the England Roses in the first meeting of a three-game Test series. Wallam is expected to debut and Paige Hadley will captain the side as Watson takes a much-deserved rest.
