All the Lady Toppers care about is a conference turnaround.

The Western Kentucky women’s basketball team (3-9) can improve to 2-0 in Sun Belt Conference play at 5:30 p.m. today when it visits Louisiana-Monroe.

“Our season is still doable, despite our record and how bad we’ve struggled in our nonconference,” WKU coach Mary Taylor Cowles said. “What we want to achieve is still there. We got a good start, but we’ve got to be ready every night in conference play. We can’t show up without our best game.”

Despite one of the worst starts in program history, the Lady Toppers opened conference competition Dec. 11 with a 65-48 win over Florida International.

They were then routed 75-38 at No. 15 Texas Tech on Dec. 21, but WKU returns from Christmas break with nothing but its league slate ahead.

The team practiced once Monday and twice Tuesday after a short holiday hiatus.

“They’ve been very positive,” Cowles said. “I think the break has good timing, but at the same time, they’re ready to be back.”

For the first time in more than a month, WKU will be at full strength today.

Freshman guard Danay Fothergill, who broke a bone in her foot in late November, will be available against the Warhawks, Cowles said. Fothergill was averaging 9.5 points and shooting 52.2 percent from behind the arc when she was injured. Senior forward Keshia Mosley will also return after serving a one-game suspension at Texas Tech for an undisclosed violation of team rules.

Louisiana-Monroe (2-11) has struggled all season but won 84-68 last time out at Northwestern State on Dec. 21. Today’s game will be its conference opener.

“Their biggest strengths are their rebounding and their transition,” Cowles said. “They’re very good at getting the ball out and running the floor, and that includes their posts.”

Senior center Larrie Williams leads the Warhawks, averaging 16 points and six rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Elizabeth Torres averages 10.1 points and 6.2 assists.

“Even though Williams leads them in scoring, Torres is a great playmaker that knows how to distribute the ball and can also shoot the ball herself,” Cowles said. “Anytime you have a balance like that, it’ll be extremely important for us to be on our toes.”