Oklahoma City - Party Hat. Streaming media. Star sunglasses. Bubble machine, disco ball and unicorn pinata. The hottest club for Women's University World Series Clubs? This is a canoe at UCLA.

"It's absolutely wild there," Bruins Senior Taylor Stephens told ESPN this week. "The program has been attending parties since my first year. It's tradition. Our team, our canoe, it's an atmosphere - it's an atmosphere that's undeniable. We just love having fun."

UCLA loves having fun. On the opening weekend of the 2025 WCW, there seems to be no better than the No. 9 seed Brown Bears returning to Tennessee 7 seed Tennessee (3 p.m. ET) on Sunday, losing 3-1 to the No. 12 Texas Tech knockout round Saturday.

UCLA ranked third in the country (481) in the match between Taylor Tinsley, Kaitlyn Terry and Addisen Fisher, and eighth in the home run (98) and was won by Taylor Tinsley’s Triumvirate, and in the appearance of the 34th WCW, UCLA made a lot of noise along the way. But it wasn't until the Brown Bear arrived in Oklahoma City this week that their noisy and noisy party officially sprinkled back to the national stage.

The Bruins have long been the loudest guard in college softball in Thursday's opener against Oregon. Jessica Clements launched her two games, after walking home runs, celebrating on the plate with a blue and gold party hat on their heads. On Saturday, UCLA raised another gap, flooding Devon Park's third-base canoe and adorn the walls with paper ribbons and balloons. The poster posted on the canoe wall conveys a simple message: “It’s party time.”

"Gathering has always been a part of the culture here," said teen infielder Jordan Woolery. "It's not the best version of ourselves when we're a little nervous. Having fun on canoes, having fun on the field, all the chats can make each other's sense of freedom easier."

Hanging the tan props of the bear on Saturday night, it has long been a fixture for the UCLA canoe party. Woolery is a national first team and has witnessed many of their evolutions. After the former Brown Bear Standard Bucks Megan Fariamo and Anna Vines, she recalls kimchi jars, Reese’s cheese box boxes, and the plush animal parade among the most precious props that have popped up in the UCLA Dugout in recent years.

When the likes of Wool and Stephens encountered a party hat or stupid sunglasses before the first game Thursday, there was no hesitation.

"We jumped on them," Stephens said. "The Party's hat is new. But the Party is not."

Indeed, UCLA has a long history of canoeing, dating back to the rise of softball in the school dynasty in the 1980s. The 2025 Bruins fought with Nijaree Canady of Texas Tech on Saturday, generations of former players exchanged stories and photos of WCWS Dugout Dugout parties and past stories through the WhatsApp group of UCLA softball alumni.

In some cases, the party even begins before the players leave the team hotel.

"Every year in Oklahoma City, we stay in the Embassy Suite, and these two glass elevators take you to your room," said 2004 national champion Tara Henry. "On the way to the stadium, we pile up in their games and host a team dance that shakes the elevator an hour before the WCWS competition."

Even though it's decades old, the scenes inside Bruins' canoe this week seem to have a clear deviation from the past periods of the show and the movement.

UCLA first incorporated itself into the first superpower of college softball through nonsense strength and strict planning standards under coaches Sharon Backus and Sue Enquist. But while the Brown Bears canoe celebrations and excitement for in-house players have grown, former UCLA players like Henry see the same core pillars, the program is still underpinning the 19-year coach Kelly Inouye-Perez, who played for Enquist from 1989 to 1993 to 1993 and served as an assistant for 13 seasons in 2007.

“It’s always about how we manage to keep teamworking and having fun, but ultimately responsible,” Henry said. “We’re seeing a more freer, more relaxed team and different expressions. I think Kelly has always been a big part of it. But, trust me, they still have standards and still understand what it means to play for UCLA softball.”

The Brown Bear soon put on a party hat in Thursday's opener. But how UCLA's latest props get into the canoe remains a mystery for players until the weekend, a group of former Bruins led by Taylor Sullivan, Alaiyah Jordan and Malia Quarles showed up on Saturday with more softball alumni to continue the party culture.

"Scream to the party city in Moore, Oklahoma," Sullivan said. "The Bruin Party is just a microcosm of UCLA softball. Play together, play each other, and try to make the Bruin bubble proud."

Inouye-Perez eliminated a knockout match with Tennessee after a home run from a pair of late Texas Tech sank the Brown Bears on Saturday. After less than 24 hours facing a Canadian fire brigade, the Brown Bear will be tested again on Sunday by Vols vols ace ace Karlyn Pickens, the owner of the fastest-recorded stadium in softball history.

“The most important thing is that we are not done yet,” Inouye-Perez said. "Now, we have more time to play more games and get very hot. I'm so excited. We can't wait to get back there."

The Bruins caught three shots in February when facing a tough junior, and they intend to extend their stay in Oklahoma City on Sunday. As long as UCLA stays in the WCWS field, the canoe party will continue.

"Tomorrow, the next day and the next day, you'll see more props," Stephens said. "Props are eternal. They overflow. The party won't stop."