TIME's new cover: Brittney Griner's fight for freedom. Brittney Griner speaks to the world through pictures these days, writes Sean Gregory. In mid-May, nearly three months into her detention in Russia for carrying cannabis oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport, fans of the WNBA superstar saw a stark image of Griner in a courtroom, handcuffed and head bowed, a figure of defeat. We saw her eyes in June, at another hearing, but they were popping, frightened, and bewildered. All the courtroom cameras stunned her. Griner is the most visible detainee among thousands taken by Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in February, a high-profile prisoner exploited by a regime looking to showcase the limits of American power. Though her fate remains uncertain, July delivered moments of hope for Griner. President Biden has approved a plan to offer the release of convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout in exchange for the Russians’ release of Griner and Paul Whelan, an American held captive in Russia for more than three years, sources familiar with the matter tell TIME. Moscow “should be interested” in the offer “based on their prior representations,” a senior Administration official says, but as of July 27 had not responded to the offer. Read the full cover story at the link in our bio. Artwork by @lornasimpson for TIME. Source photo: Stephen Gosling—NBAE/Getty Images