Brittney Griner is on the cover of this week’s issue of TIME Magazine, along with a feature story by senior editor Sean Gregory. Griner joins MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani as the only athletes to be on the TIME cover so far in 2022. Other celebrities who TIME has featured on its cover this year include Zendaya and Elon Musk.
TIME Magazine has been published since 1923 and has over 20 million subscribers worldwide.
Multimedia artist Lorna Simpson designed the cover itself. It features Griner’s portrait along with the words “BRITTNEY GRINER AND THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM.” The photo of Griner in her WNBA uniform was taken by Stephen Gosling. It features “a celestial overlay of meteor showers—taken from a 19th-century print—that extends into the background.”
“The strong impression of this image of Griner is not only what could be interpreted as the solemnity of her expression. But also the symmetry of the star tattoos on her shoulders,” Simpson explained. “The inversion of the illustration is a way of bringing into focus how much of her life has been upended. Also the urgency of her release and safe return to the U.S., and the preciousness of time passing.”
Gregory’s story, meanwhile, is titled “Brittney Griner’s Fight for Freedom.” It is essentially a rundown of her entire Russian imprisonment situation, along with an overview of her life and career up to that point.
Russia Comments on U.S. Prisoner Swap Offer for Brittney Griner
After more than five months of Brittney Griner in captivity, the U.S. is reportedly willing to send Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in exchange for her and Paul Whelan. Griner has been imprisoned since February 17, while Whelan has been behind bars in Russia since 2018.
But at this point in time, Russia has not agreed to the deal. According to Reuters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday: “So far there are no agreements in this area.”
Foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova confirmed that talks have occurred, but nothing further at the moment.
Griner’s lawyer in Russia, Maria Blagovolina, mentioned that her trial would have to come to a close before any exchange is made.
