Throughout the remainder of the NCAA women’s basketball season, Megan Hughes Perry of the WNBA Basketball Operations Staff will shed some light on some of the top college storylines across the country.

WNBA.com’s College Hoops Highlights series continues as we turn the spotlight on South Carolina’s Aleighsa Welch.

If there has ever been a case in which the numbers don’t tell the full story, that case is for South Carolina’s starting power forward and team captain, Aleighsa Welch. On paper, Welch’s numbers don’t exactly jump off the page. She is averaging nine points, seven rebounds and two assists per game. Those that have watched Welch play, however, are well aware that her contributions to her team are too vast to be measured by the confines of a box score.

Flying under the radar on a roster that seems to have an overflow of talent, Welch has established herself as the motor of the team. Her contributions on the court are highlighted by her efficient interior scoring, offensive rebounding and defensive prowess. Yet, what is most impressive is how she consistently delivers in the biggest moments, which works in tandem with her infectious leadership ability.

What separates Welch from the pack is her track record of strong performances on the biggest and brightest stages. To be the best you have to compete against the best and in this season’s most heralded match up against (then No. 2) UConn on Feb. 9, Welch delivered a 17-point, 11-rebound gem. To follow that up, she electrified a crowd of 14,000 fans at Colonial Life Arena this past Monday with a 19-point, 14-rebound performance against conference rival, Tennessee – a game that many considered to be the decisive game for the SEC regular season title.

To fully capture the significance of Welch’s contributions to her team you must have an eye for the details. Her impact also manifests outside of the stat sheet in how she leads her teammates. Whether it’s her nods of reassurance, a pep talk in the midst of a key moment, or her emotionally charged reactions to the game, the passion that Welch exudes is contagious. From the time that she put on a Gamecock jersey as the first in-state recruit to commit to South Carolina in the Dawn Staley era, Welch has had a lot to do with the growth of the program and the change in culture that has gripped not only Gamecock fans, but also the entire South Carolina community.

As Aleighsa Welch’s storied collegiate career winds to a close, she has managed to carve out a space amongst the nation’s most elite players, collecting numerous accolades, all while being mostly absent for the tops of stats sheets. Perhaps that is just the point. Get your head out of your tablet or live stats feed. It isn’t always all about the numbers. When Welch is on the floor, be sure to keep your head up, if not, you will have surely missed the show.