Time magazine’s most recent edition features WNBA superstar Brittney Griner on its cover.
Griner has been “wrongfully detained” in Russia for 161 days since she was arrested at a Moscow airport on drug smuggling charges back in February.
“Brittney Griner and the fight for freedom,” the cover reads.
The sports world took to Twitter to react to this magazine cover.
“Pretty weird times,” one fan wrote.
“Bring her home,” another said.
“OK this is out of control. I get that what she’s going through kind of sucks. But how is TIME magazine’s sticking some woman who’s been in jail for 6 months over drugs on the cover when there are ppl serving decades-long sentences in their own damn country for the same thing?” another added.
“Isn’t fair to all those other Americans or their families who have been detained and or died in unfriendly countries. Only difference is that the media took up her cause. Need more consistency w awareness for unfairly detained Americans overseas,” another wrote.
Griner was arrested after Russian officials allegedly found vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport. If convicted, she could face up to 10 years in prison.
Griner testified for the first time on Wednesday, saying there was a translation issue that led to her to signing papers without any knowledge of what they entailed.
This Time magazine cover is one of the many pushes made by the American media/public. On Wednesday, the Biden Administration announced a proposed prisoner swap in an attempt to bring home Griner and fellow American prisoner Paul Whelan.