Slow USC women's basketball start shouldn't raise alarm bells

After taking a lot of time off for the USC women's basketball team between a conference championship and the First Round, Lindsay Gottlieb's team didn't get off to a hot tournament start. After the opening 10 minutes, the Trojans held a slim 12-8 lead. Injury concerns, moreover, affect JuJu Watkins throughout the game. UNC Greensboro fell 71-25 at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, California.

Her initially unspecified left wrist or finger issue lingered throughout the first half but quickly became a side aspect after the guard was seen limping and favoring her ankle. Still, the star managed to still put up a strong game-high 22 points and eight rebounds.

Even reentering the game after getting further medical attention in the locker room, Watkins appeared to erase thoughts for anyone worried that she would potentially miss time in the Second Round matchup. While waiting for the winner of Mississippi State and California, Trojan fans eagerly await updates.

Some are alarmed with the overall sluggish beginning of the NCAA tournament for the No. 1 seed in the Regional 4 in Spokane. This isn't as much of a warning sign as some are making it out to be, however. It can be hard for teams to regain their on-court chemistry after spending time away from the typical scheduling of conference and Big Ten tournament play.

The first game back, against a 16 seed, is usually a good opportunity for everyone to get into a rhythm again. More importantly, the defensive intensity was there and allowed the Ladies of Troy to work through their initial offensive struggles.

During none of the quarters did UNCG score in double figures. Although the shots weren't falling for the Trojans, on the other end of the court, they did well at defending without fouling and flying out to contest shooters around the perimeter.

Coach Gottlieb will want to see the 3-for-14 from deep go up as March Madness progresses. On the flip side, though, her team held her opponents to 4-of-18 from range for 22.2%. On a rough overall scoring outing, this explains how USC still managed to win by 46 points.

Shots aren't always going to fall, but it's doubtful that they'll have another performance like that again with the number of quality players on this roster. Even with the lid on the basket, Watkins showed her ability to get into the paint, as she has all season long. A scoring drought can always be solved by turning to your best player, and assuming these wrists and ankles are fine, she will be able to get herself going at any time.

Players to watch for in USC's next game

That being said, others will need to step up a little more on the scoring side of things. Kiki Iriafen was a force on the boards with 13 rebounds, but she'll look to add closer to 20 points moving forward with a little more efficiency. She is capable of this, as her 18.2 points per game suggest, although against UNCG, she only managed to get 13 points in the outing.

Freshman Kennedy Smith scored a point in her NCAA tournament debut. She went 0-of-2 from three in this one, but coach Gottlieb will want her to shoot more. The guard averages 9.5 PPG and can provide a boost for the Trojans if she keeps looking for opportunities to score for herself.

Ultimately, the rest versus rust aspect was prevalent in the first half. Even so, however, anyone dismissing or discarding this team's Final Four chances hasn't been paying attention all season long. This USC group is good, and they are led by Watkins. The All-American played through some setbacks, and her teammates are likely to shake off this first game and follow her lead on a deep tournament run.