The Silver Ferns have won the battle, but conceded the war, as they overcame world champions Australia 53-50 in the Constellation Cup decider at Auckland's Spark Arena.
After dropping both games across the Tasman, the NZ women kept the four-game series alive with victory at Invercargill midweek, but still needed a 17-goal result in the final fixture to seize the silverware.
Ultimately, they fell far short of that target, but still showed their ability, trailling until midway through the final quarter, before wearing down their rivals over the closing stages.
New Zealand were the first to blink in the opening quarter, allowing their rivals to open a six-goal advantage and forcing NZ coach Dame Noeline Taurua into a personnel change in midcourt, bringing Whitney Souness on for Mila Reuelu-Buchanan.
They reduced the deficit to three goals at the first break and one soon after, but could not quite bridge the gap. The Ferns took the second quarter 14-13, but still lagged two goals behind at halftime, as a series victory looked far away indeed.
The home side immediately turned over their centrepass to start the third period and squandered a chance to go ahead for the first time soon after. Defenders Kelly Jury and Karin Burger, playing her 50th test for her country, worked tirelessly to provide extra opportunities, but inaccuracy further upcourt let the Ferns down repeatedly.
Looking for better connections, Taurua mixed up her midcourt again, with Souness exiting for Reuelu-Buchanan, but replacing Gordon only seconds later.
Australia enjoyed a two-goal lead into the final stanza and edged back out to five, when goal keep Courtney Bruce forced a mistake under goal.
New Zealand responded with four unanswered goals to stay in the fight, desperately needing another turnover to take their first lead. It came when Jury deflected a circle feed to wing attack Kate Heffernan.
Star shooter Grace Nweke converted and then scored again off the next centrepass to edge ahead with just over eight minutes remaining.
In the dying seconds, the Ferns led by one goal and Burger forced a turnover in the defence circle that allowed the Ferns to make the contest safe.
Nweke showed how desperately she was missed, when she went down with a knee injury at this year's World Cup, providing a big target under goal and converting 43/45 attempts (96 percent). After starting the series cautiously, she played the entire 60 minutes, putting the Aussie defenders in fits.
Captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio spent much of the game on the sidelines, with Tiana Metuarau filling the goal attack position, but came on in the closing minutes to help close out victory, shooting 10/10 to support Nweke.
Taurua's midcourt deception proved a masterstroke near the end, while Jury and Burger can claim credit for the result, with their dogged determination on defence.
"We have shown so much growth, so I'm really proud of how we were able to finish off," said Ekenasio. "Even though we don't come away with the Cup, we finish on a high and I'm super proud.
"There's never any less [rivalry] against these guys - they're world champions and they bring it every single time, regardless of where the game is."
Ironically, Australia have claimed 2022 Commonwealth Games gold at Birmingham and the World Cup crown at Cape Town without facing their biggest rivals at either tournament.
This is the fourth time in its 13-year history the four-game Constellation series has been decided by goal difference, each time by the Diamonds. They took the spoils last year in the same fashion.
Silver Ferns 53 (Nweke 43/45, Ekenasio 10/10) Australia 50 (Garbin 37/40, Austin 7/9, Koenen 6/7)
