Taurua has faced a court-side inquisition each time New Zealand's most successful franchise has made the ANZ Championship play-offs, although the 50-39 drubbing by the unbeaten Firebirds was particularly traumatic.
"We got dominated, we got annihilated," she said after the Magic had their first post-season lifeline severed by a Firebirds side that appear destined to continue Australia's domination of the competition.
The New South Wales Swifts, Melbourne Vixens and Adelaide Thunderbirds claimed the first three titles, now Queensland's Firebirds are on the verge of eclipsing their efforts by lifting the crown without losing a match.
A 14th win of 2011 -- in their maiden play-off appearance -- was arguably the most impressive. The victory margin was only 11, they have had bigger wins, but the execution of their game plan makes it hard to see either the Northern Mystics or Magic crashing the party in Brisbane on May 22.
On Sunday the New Zealanders decide who has the dubious honour of attempting to halt the maroon juggernaut.
The Firebirds lack of finals experience was immaterial as their big game players stepped up on cue -- defender Laura Geitz pushed Irene van Dyk to breaking point while Romelda Aiken and Natalie Medhurst combined to mar Casey Williams' 100th appearance for the Magic.
The Firebirds led at every interval , the only consolation for the Magic was they avoided suffering another record defeat in the finals series -- a 15-goal loss to the Vixens in 2009's major semifinal remains the benchmark.
Sensing trouble as early as the fifth minute Taurua made tactical alterations but the Firebirds were unshakeable.
"When he looked at it from the sideline we're thinking 'Shit, they're looking hot'," Taurua said.
The Magic had not beaten the Queenslanders since 2008 but were encouraged by a four-goal defeat in round eight last month.
However, from the moment Geitz intercepted two early feeds aimed at Van Dyk, momentum was with the hosts inside the Gold Coast Convention Centre.
Geitz never let up on the Silver Ferns legend and after three quarters Van Dyk had only scored seven goals during 45 minutes of mounting frustration.
She finally found some freedom in the final term but 17 goals from 20 attempts was never going to combat Aiken (29/33) and Medhurst (21/27).
"Laura Geitz did a great a job on Irene," Taurua admitted.
"That's how she's been playing and if anything she just took another step up."
Asked if she could contemplate being put through the wringer a third time in a grand final -- the Magic were runners-up in 2008 and last year -- Taurua hesitated.
"I think at the moment we're not feeling too well about ourselves," she said.
"We were humiliated by the product they put out on court and out of 100 per cent we did five per cent well.
"The first thing we have to do is get over it and then look at moving on."
Meanwhile, Geitz was not quite organising an engraver for the trophy but she was delighted with her side's performance.
"There's still a lot we can work on, we still haven't played our perfect game yet," she said.
Despite terrorising the game's greatest shooter Geitz said the defensive unit could make life even more difficult for Van Dyk or the Mystics Silver Fern-in-waiting Catherine Latu in the finale.
"We can win some more ball and make it harder for the shot, we can apply more pressure on the shooters to get the percentages down," she said.
Geitz played down an increasingly fractious match-up with Van Dyk, who was penalised for elbowing her shadow during the fourth quarter.
"I did get a few balls to the head but I gave her a few sneaky elbows as well. I'm sure it'll happen again if it's the Magic again," Geitz said.
Van Dyk paid tribute to Geitz and starting goal defence Claire McMeniman for curbing her impact.
"They did a very good job in shutting me down. We just couldn't get through the defence. We did not have one of our better games but life goes on.
"To be back here for the final would be wicked," she said, ever the optimist.
