They would be the five minutes in the final quarter in Canberra yesterday when the Steel looked like the better team on court.
Apart from that little spell, this was a horror show from the Steel, which is almost certainly out of playoff contention after one of its worst performances in recent seasons.
At one stage, the Swifts led by 20 goals and were threatening to hand the Southern franchise a record loss.
But the Australians - perhaps showing some Anzac spirit - ran their bench, and the gap closed over the final quarter.
The Swifts had earned the right to take it a little easy at the end of the game, because they were demonstrably the better team for so much of it.
Their midcourt, led by the dazzling Kim Green, was utterly ruthless; their attack end consisted of the metronomic Caitlin Thwaites sinking shots from all parts; and their defenders did everything they possibly could to stop the ball getting to Steel star Jhaniele Fowler-Reid, which is an essentially impossible task.
The Steel was ultimately lucky to finish as close as 13 goals behind.
Its defensive weaknesses were again exposed in the first half, and it committed far too many turnovers.
''It started from the first whistle, when we just didn't adjust to what the Swifts had to bring,'' captain Jodi Brown told Sky Sport.
''We were just on the back foot right from the start.''
The Steel looked lethargic in the first quarter, possibly due to the fact the side was playing its second game in four days, although Brown shook off that suggestion.
''We can't use that as an excuse. We've known about this for a while and we've done the best planning we can.
''We need to give the Swifts credit. They came out firing.''
Indeed they did. The Australians burst out to a 14-2 lead and it is not stretching the truth to say the game was effectively over by that point.
Thwaites was on fire, sinking her first 12 shots and proving impossible for Steel circle defenders Rachel Rasmussen and Storm Purvis to stop.
Green was in complete control in the middle of the court, and that prevented Fowler-Reid getting opportunities.
Still, the Steel had a minor comeback near the end of the quarter, and kept pace with the Swifts for a chunk of the second.
A midcourt shake-up worked for the Steel, with both Wendy Frew (to centre) and Phillipa Finch (to wing attack) moving forward a spot, and the relatively untested Stacey Peeters entering the game at wing defence.
The Swifts regrouped and pulled away slightly again, and extended the lead to 13 goals at halftime.
The Steel made a double defensive switch as Phoenix Karaka and Erena Mikaere entered the game, but the Swifts pulled further ahead in the third quarter.
Thwaites took a well-earned seat for the Swifts, Te Paea Selby-Rickit had a run for the Steel, and the match rather fizzled out.
The Steel could at least console itself in the knowledge it won the final quarter, but that could not disguise the fact this was a hiding.
The Steel's next game is on the road, against the Mystics next Sunday.
ANZ Championship
The scores
NSW Swifts 65
Caitlin Thwaites 32 goals from 35 attempts, Susan Pratley 23/27, Carla Dziwoki 9/10, Gretel Tippett 1/3
Southern Steel 52
Jhaniele Fowler-Reid 42/45, Jodi Brown 8/10, Te Paea Selby-Rickit 2/4Quarter scores: 20-10, 37-24, 54-36.
