And her verdict?
Well, no amount of rewinding could change the result. Her team still lost but it was not as painful watching as it was playing.
Brown felt the match started to slip away towards the end of the half, when the Magic sliced through a healthy buffer and cut the deficit to just two goals.
The Magic carried that momentum through the rest of the game, eventually winning 58-52. The loss has left the Steel relying on other results to go its way.
''Now we need this team to do that for us and another team to do this,'' Brown said.
''But what we can control is our last three games and make sure we control those. Whatever else happens, happens.''
First up is the Tactix this Sunday at the Edgar Centre. The Steel annihilated the Christchurch-based team 75-56 in round two. Steel shooter Jhaniele Fowler announced her arrival with a record individual haul of 65 goals.
The Steel should be too strong for the visitors, but Brown warned the Tactix would not be so easily brushed aside.
''The Tactix have been having some up and down patches. Against the Thunderbirds they did an amazing job ... but would have been disappointed with their effort against the Pulse [on Monday night].
''But I still think they are going to be tough. It is not too often Jo Harten will have two bad games in a row. I think she will come out firing on Sunday.''
With all respect to the Tactix, the Fever in Perth the following week represents a greater challenge.
The Steel still has not managed to win an ANZ Championship game in Australia and, even if it can create history, it will return to Invercargill for a difficult game against the Pulse, which is also pushing for a spot in the playoffs.
''[The Fever] is a huge game for us. It is not just the travel or dealing with Aussie umpires, but also dealing with a team that performs really well at home. The Fever, like us, love being in front of their home crowd. Out of all of them, that is going to be our toughest game.''
Should the Steel win all three games, it will still need the Magic to drop at least one of its three remaining games.
Regardless of whether the Steel makes the playoffs, Brown said it had performed above expectations.
At the start of the season, the team hoped to make the top six. To be in a position to push for a spot in the playoffs felt like a bonus, she said.
''We've made huge strides this year. Last year, we had so many new players, new coaches and new management.
''We are in the second year of it [a three-year plan] and have really developed on the foundations we made last year. I don't want to say we've overachieved, but expectations have built every week because we have grown as a team and we have got better each week.''
