Text with Madeline Kenney as she follows the Liberty — she’s sharing behind-the-scenes info and insights with Sports+ subscribers.

When the Golden State Valkyries’ flight touched down in New York City on Saturday, memories of Kayla Thornton’s best times here started flooding back like cars flying across the Brooklyn Bridge. 

Thornton doesn’t miss New York City traffic or the nonsensical honking. She doesn’t miss the “funk” you’re at risk of catching a whiff of any time you’re walking down the street. 

But the people and the relationships she built in her two seasons with the Liberty, that’s what she misses. 

“New York holds a special place in my heart,” Thornton said Tuesday after Valkyries shootaround. “So it’s good to be back.”